Famine and Pestilence in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine Empire: A Systematic Survey of Subsistence Crises and Epidemics

Description

First published 2004 by Ashgate Publishing. "Famine and Pestilence in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine Empire" presents the first analytical account in English of the history of subsistence crises and epidemic diseases in Late Antiquity. Based on a catalogue of all such events in the East Roman/Byzantine empire between 284 and 750, it gives an authoritative analysis of the causes, effects and internal mechanisms of these crises and incorporates modern medical and physiological data on epidemics and famines. Its interest is both in the history of medicine and the history of Late Antiquity, especially its social and demographic aspects. Stathakopoulos develops models of crises that apply not only to the society of the late Roman and early Byzantine world, but also to early modern and even contemporary societies in Africa or Asia. This study is therefore both a work of reference for information on particular events (e.g. the 6th-century Justinianic plague) and a comprehensive analysis of subsistence crises and epidemics as agents of historical causation. As such it makes an important contribution to the ongoing debate on Late Antiquity, bringing a fresh perspective to comment on the characteristic features that shaped this period and differentiate it from Antiquity and the Middle Ages. List of Tables vii Preface and Acknowledgements ix List of Abbreviations xi Introduction: Negotiating with the Dead 1 PART I: TYPOLOGY OF CRISES 1. The Late Roman and Early Byzantine Empire 17 2. A Quantitative Overview 23 3. Subsistence Crises: Causes, Location, Duration and Range 35 Nature-induced Crises 36 Human-induced Crises 46 Duration, Location and Range 53 4. Social Response 57 Market Activity 57 Response of Authorities 62 Popular Reaction 70 5. Epidemic Diseases 88 Introduction 88 Smallpox 91 Infections of the Gastro-intestinal Tract 97 Other Infectious Diseases 100 Mass Poisonings 103 6. The Justinianic Plague 110 The Chronology of the Plague 113 The Epidemiology of the Plague 124 Was the Justinianic Plague a Pandemic of 'True Plague'? 144 Social Response 146 7. Results 155 Mortality 155 Shortage of Human Resources 163 8. Conclusion: 'History that Stands Still'? 166 PART II: CATALOGUE OF EPIDEMICS AND FAMINES FROM 284 TO 750 AD 9. Catalogue 177 Appendices I. Measures and Currency 387 II. Famine Prices of Grain 389 Bibliography 395 Index 403