Impact Antonine Plague

1 impact

1.1 culture, literature, arts
1.2 military concerns
1.3 indian ocean trade , han china

impact
culture, literature, arts

in consternation, many turned protection offered magic. lucian of samosata s irony-laden account of charlatan alexander of abonoteichus records verse of despatched nations during pestilence... seen written on doorways everywhere , particularly in houses emptied, lucian further remarks.

the epidemic had drastic social , political effects throughout roman empire: barthold georg niebuhr (1776–1831) concluded reign of marcus aurelius forms turning point in many things, , above in literature , art, have no doubt crisis brought plague.... ancient world never recovered blow inflicted on plague visited in reign of marcus aurelius. during marcomannic wars, marcus aurelius wrote philosophical work meditations . passage ix.2 states pestilence around him less deadly falsehood, evil behavior, , lack of true understanding. lay dying, marcus uttered words, weep not me; think rather of pestilence , deaths of many others. edward gibbon (1737–1794) , michael rostovtzeff (1870–1952) assign antonine plague less influence contemporary political , economic trends, respectively.

military concerns

a roman coin commemorating victories of marcus aurelius in marcomannic wars against germanic tribes along danube frontier in 170s ad

some direct effects of contagion stand out, however. when imperial forces moved east under command of emperor verus after forces of vologases iv of parthia attacked armenia, romans defense of eastern territories hampered when large numbers of troops succumbed disease. according 5th-century spanish writer paulus orosius, many towns , villages in italian peninsula , european provinces lost inhabitants. disease swept north rhine, infected germanic , gallic peoples outside empire s borders. number of years, northern groups had pressed south in search of more lands sustain growing populations. ranks thinned epidemic, roman armies unable push tribes back. 167 death, marcus aurelius commanded legions near danube, trying, partial success, control advance of germanic peoples across river. major offensive against marcomanni postponed until 169 because of shortage of imperial troops.

indian ocean trade , han china

although ge hong first in china accurately describe symptoms of smallpox, historian rafe de crespigny muses plagues afflicting eastern han empire of china during reigns of emperor huan of han (r. 146-168) , emperor ling of han (r. 168–189) - outbreaks in 151, 161, 171, 173, 179, 182, , 185 - perhaps connected antonine plague on western end of eurasia. crespigny suggests these plagues led rise of cult faith healing millenarian movement led zhang jue (d. 184), instigated disastrous yellow turban rebellion (184-205). states may chance outbreak of antonine plague in 166 coincides roman embassy of daqin (i.e. roman empire) landing in jiaozhi (northern vietnam) , visiting han court of emperor huan, claiming represent andun (安敦; transliteration of marcus aurelius antoninus or predecessor antoninus pius).

raoul mcluaghlin writes event of roman subjects visiting han chinese court in 166 have ushered in new era of roman far east trade, yet harbinger of more ominous instead. mclaughlin surmises origins of plague lay in central asia, unknown , isolated population group, spread chinese , roman worlds. plague kill 10% of roman population, cited mclaughlin, causing irreparable damage roman maritime trade in indian ocean proven archaeological record spanning egypt india, decreased roman commercial activity in southeast asia. however, evidenced 3rd-century periplus of erythraean sea , 6th-century christian topography cosmas indicopleustes, roman maritime trade indian ocean, particularly silk , spice trade, did not cease , continued until loss of egypt rashidun caliphate. chinese histories insist further roman embassies came china way of rinan in vietnam in 226 , 284 ad, roman artefacts have been found.