Plague of Cyprian
The Plague of Cyprian is an epidemic that occurred in the Roman Empire between 249 and 270 AD.[1] It is part of the crisis of the 3rd century.
The plague caused food shortages and manpower shortages in the Roman army. This severely weakened the empire in the third century. Its modern name commemorates the early Christian writer St. Cyprien, the bishop of Carthage. He saw and described the plague. The cause of the plague is not known, but may include viruses such as smallpox, pandemic influenza and Ebola haemorrhagic fever.
The death toll of the plague is unknown. About 5,000 people died from the plague every day in Rome.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Kyle Harper 2017. Chapter 4: The old age of the World, in The fate of Rome: climate, disease, and the end of an Empire. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691166834
