Marcus Aurelius and the Plague Doctors

Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History · Sep 22, 2026 · 8m · transcript

We often picture Marcus Aurelius as the solitary philosopher-king writing in his tent at Carnuntum, but his reign was defined by a different kind of warfare: the invisible war against disease. The Antonine Plague, likely smallpox or measles brought back by legions from the Near East, devastated the Roman Empire, killing millions and hollowing out the ranks of the army that fought the Marcomanni. In this episode, we look past the battlefield to examine the societal collapse caused by the pandemic, focusing on how the state responded to the crisis through quarantine measures and the rise of…