Latest / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Mystery of the Antonine Plague
We’ve talked about Marcus’s laws, his wars, and his philosophy, but we haven’t really looked at the invisible enemy that nearly broke the Roman Empire: the Antonine Plague. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the historical debate surrounding its origins. Was it a biological catastrophe brought back from the Near East, or did it arrive with the returning legions after the siege of Seleucia? We examine Galen’s clinical notes, the demographic collapse in Italy, and how this disease reshaped the military structure of Rome. You’ll learn why modern historians are split between smallpox and…
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