Pox Romana

The Plague That Shook the Roman World

Colin Elliott

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Princeton University Press
05 August 2025

European history; Social & cultural history

In the middle of the second century AD, Rome was at its prosperous and powerful apex. The emperor Marcus Aurelius reigned over a vast territory that stretched from Britain to Egypt. The Roman-made peace, or Pax Romana, seemed to be permanent. Then, apparently out of nowhere, a sudden sickness struck the legions and laid waste to cities, including Rome itself. This fast-spreading disease, now known as the Antonine plague, may have been history's first pandemic. Soon after its arrival, the Empire began its downward trajectory toward decline and fall. In Pox Romana, historian Colin Elliott offers a comprehensive, wide-ranging account of this pivotal moment in Roman history.

Did a single disease - its origins and diagnosis still a mystery - bring Rome to its knees? Carefully examining all the available evidence, Elliott shows that Rome's problems were more insidious. Years before the pandemic, the thin veneer of Roman peace and prosperity had begun to crack: the economy was sluggish, the military found itself bogged down in the Balkans and the Middle East, food insecurity led to riots and mass migration, and persecution of Christians intensified. The pandemic exposed the crumbling foundations of a doomed Empire. Arguing that the disease was both cause and effect of Rome's fall, Elliott describes the plague's 'preexisting conditions' (Rome's multiple economic, social, and environmental susceptibilities); recounts the history of the outbreak itself through the experiences of physician, victim, and political operator; and explores post-pandemic crises. The pandemic's most transformative power, Elliott suggests, may have been its lingering presence as a threat both real and perceived.

By: Colin Elliott
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 133mm,
ISBN: 9780691220703
ISBN 10: 0691220700
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 05 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Colin Elliott is associate professor of history at Indiana University and the author of Economic Theory and the Roman Monetary Economy.

Reviews for Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World

""Enlightening. . . . [Elliott] expertly draws on trace evidence such as census records, real estate contracts, and paleoclimate research to make his case. It’s an informative history that serves to encourage better pandemic preparedness today."" * Publishers Weekly * ""This look at the Antonine plague and its impact has both good history and good economics.""---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution ""Pox Romana is an important work of ancient history. . . . It shows that by leveraging new archeological evidence, and variegated forms of quantitative evidence, scholars are making substantive advances in our understanding of the Roman world.""---Mark Koyama, How the World Became Rich ""Colin Elliott has written a book which is very relevant to the world we live in.""---Francis Ghilès, The Arab Weekly ""Colin Elliott offers a comprehensive, wide-ranging account of [a] pivotal moment in Roman history. . . .I recommend everyone to purchase this book.""---Mark Beumer, Kleio-Historia ""[A] remarkable book. . . .A vivid account of the harsh realities of life in an ancient mega city like Rome.""---S. M. Burstein, emeritus, California State University, Los Angeles ""A particular highlight of Colin Elliott’s book Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook The Roman World is his visceral account of ancient Rome itself. . . .Wryly humorous. . . .[Elliott] vividly describes a tottering though resilient empire.""---Talha Burki, The Lancet ""[Pox Romana] paints a vivid picture of the impact of the world’s first pandemic in recorded history. . . .A great read.""---Tibi Puiu, ZME Science ""Readers will find in this remarkable book an important contribution to Roman imperial history and a vivid account of the harsh realities of life in an ancient mega city like Rome. . . . Highly recommended."" * Choice Reviews * ""A lively account of what many think was the world’s first pandemic. . . . A stimulating reflection on how pandemics involve a complex interplay of pathogen, environment, state intervention and private action.""---Myles Lavan, Times Literary Supplement ""Lively.""---Josephine Quinn, London Review of Books ""Superb."" * Pharmacy Magazine * ""A multifaceted portrait of the Antonine plague. . . . Elliott handles an admirable breadth of evidence, ambitiously drawing from texts, inscriptions, numismatics, archaeological material, pathogen paleogenomes, and paleoclimate archives.""---Rachel Singer, H-Net Reviews ""[A] careful collection of examples, micro-histories, and sets of evidence that the author takes onto the scene while discussing some of the darkest pages of Roman history.""---Rocco Palermo, Bryn Mawr Classical Review ""It’s weirdly thrilling to view the collapse of civilisation into violence and paranoid lunacy from a safe distance of nearly 2,000 years – but maybe that’s only because we can’t see the future."" * The Tablet *