Lecture 9 : Roman TimesOverview

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS– The Macedonian Empire (Alexander The Great)– The Roman Empire– China (Han Dynasty)– Persia and India

HEALTH AND DISEASE– Malaria– Plague of Orosius– The Antonine And Cyprian Plagues– The Justinian Plague

Alexander The Great

• Alexander became king of Macedonia in 336 BC.

• He established hegemony over most of Greece, then established a major empire embracing Egypt, the Middle East, Persia, the Indus plus other areas.

• Died in 323 BC aged 33 from an infection.

• His empire was divided after his death. Ptolemy established a dynasty in Egypt which survived until Cleopatra was defeated by Octavian (Augustus Caesar) in 31 BC.

The Roman Empire

• Romans overtook the Etruscans in Italy in 4th century BC.

• Defeated the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars (2nd century BC).

• Further conquests extended their control over large parts of Alexander’s empire and also into Gaul and Britain.

• Greek culture diffused to western Europe.

• Population of Rome was about 2 million; the empire about 50 million.

China

• Qin dynasty unified China in 221 BC, but was shortlived.

• Han dynasty established 202 BC. Lasted 400 years.

• Main focus was around the Hwang Ho.

• Development of the Yangtze was inhibited by tropical diseases (e.g. malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis).

India And Persia

• Succession of major empires in India: Maurya (321-185

BC), Sunga Dynasty (185-75 BC), Kushan (60-375 AD) and later Gupta (320-550 AD).

• A Greek Seleucid empire was established in Persia and the Middle East by Seleucus, one of Alexander’s generals (312-63 BC).

• Eastern part taken over by the Parthian empire (248BC-226AD) and Sassanid empire (226-641), but Seleucid empire survived as a rump state until the Romans took it over.

Seluccid Empire

Parthian Empire

Gupta and Sassanid Empires

Trade

• The four main regions of civilisation formed a ring around the periphery of Asia.

• The central areas remained sparsely populated.

• A direct trade route (the Silk Road) was established between China and the Roman empire.

• Roman ships traded with the Middle East and India through the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Health And Disease

• Following increased contacts, each region became exposed to the diseaes of the other regions.

• Epidemics became global in extent for the first time – i.e. pandemics.

Malaria

• Malaria turned the rich agricultural Campagna Romano region into a malarial wasteland.

• Only made habitable again in the late 19th / early 20th centuries.

Early Epidemics

• Rome was hit by a major epidemic in 79AD.

• Rome was hit by another epidemic (the Plague of Orosius) in 125AD which had originated in Africa where it reportedly killed 1 million people.

• Roman army lost 30,000 men.

The Antonine Plague

• Roman troops sent to quell a rebellion in Syria in 164 brought back a disease in 166 which killed about one quarter to one third of the Italian population and a total of 4-7 million throughout the empire.

• Greek physician Galen left a description which the 9th century Persian physician ar-Razi recognised as smallpox in a virgin population.

• Another epidemic (Plague of Cyprian) in 251-266 killed 5,000 per day in Rome. This is now thought to have been measles.

• Population declines severely weakened the empire, contributing to the collapse of the western empire in the 5th century.

The Justinian Plague (1)

• The Roman empire split in two in the 4th century, and the western half collapsed in the 5th century.

• The eastern emperor Justinian reclaimed much of the western empire before Constantinople was hit by a plague in 542.

• Believed to have been bubonic plague.

The Justinian Plague (2)

• Bubonic plague is caused by bacillus Yersinia pestis (Pasteurella pestis) which is endemic in burrowing rodents in Himalayan foothills.

• It is transmitted by fleas.

• The Indian black rat (Rattus rattus) became infected. When the black rats died, the fleas start biting humans.

• Pneumonic form is highly infectious and almost 100 per cent fatal.

The Justinian Plague (3)

• The Justinian plague killed 40 per cent of the population of Constantinople in its first attack.

• It spread from Constantinople to the rest of Europe.

• Repeated attacks over the next 200 years reduced the population of Europe by 50 per cent.

• The eastern Empire fell to the Moslems in 634.

• Population losses resulted in the collapse of urban civilisation and ushered in the Dark Ages.