On a forgotten plague the memory of which has been restored. A review of the problem

Abstract

In the article I address such issues as the place of the plague’s outbreak and its chronology. Next, I indicate the existence of three epidemic phases, as the fact needs to be emphasised more in the literature. In the following parts, I point out the rhetorical nature of the descriptions, which makes it impossible to identify the pathogen and thus to determine its mortality rate. I further focus on climate, archaeology, and papyri, showing that the data taken from these sources do not allow us to overestimate the impact of the plague. I also present the population’s reaction in the face of pestilence and its effects on the so-called third-century crisis. I conclude the arguments with a source appendix.