Professor Kyle Harper

And all of the trouble that that entails, including ultimately fragmentation of the empire into three empires, the empire of the Gauls, the empire out of the East, and the sort of core empire in the Mediterranean and Italy. The Roman Empire should have totally come apart. And in that mix, there's a pandemic. And it's a pandemic that's been far too neglected.

And all of the trouble that that entails, including ultimately fragmentation of the empire into three empires, the empire of the Gauls, the empire out of the East, and the sort of core empire in the Mediterranean and Italy. The Roman Empire should have totally come apart. And in that mix, there's a pandemic. And it's a pandemic that's been far too neglected.

It's not by any means the sole cause of this total meltdown. And in fact, the causal arrows go both ways. I think that the pandemic doesn't cause the crisis, but the crisis also aggravates the pandemic. Society's that are unable to respond to problems seem to suffer the biggest consequences of pandemics. When you can't feed your population, then you're more vulnerable to an explosive pandemic.

It's not by any means the sole cause of this total meltdown. And in fact, the causal arrows go both ways. I think that the pandemic doesn't cause the crisis, but the crisis also aggravates the pandemic. Society's that are unable to respond to problems seem to suffer the biggest consequences of pandemics. When you can't feed your population, then you're more vulnerable to an explosive pandemic.

It's not by any means the sole cause of this total meltdown. And in fact, the causal arrows go both ways. I think that the pandemic doesn't cause the crisis, but the crisis also aggravates the pandemic. Society's that are unable to respond to problems seem to suffer the biggest consequences of pandemics. When you can't feed your population, then you're more vulnerable to an explosive pandemic.

But there is a pandemic. It's called the Plague of Cyprian, which is named after the Bishop of Carthage. I don't know that he would want his name associated with the plague because he didn't cause it. He just happened to write a sermon that happened to get preserved, that happens to be one of our lengthier descriptions of it, and so we call it the Plague of Cyprian.

But there is a pandemic. It's called the Plague of Cyprian, which is named after the Bishop of Carthage. I don't know that he would want his name associated with the plague because he didn't cause it. He just happened to write a sermon that happened to get preserved, that happens to be one of our lengthier descriptions of it, and so we call it the Plague of Cyprian.

But there is a pandemic. It's called the Plague of Cyprian, which is named after the Bishop of Carthage. I don't know that he would want his name associated with the plague because he didn't cause it. He just happened to write a sermon that happened to get preserved, that happens to be one of our lengthier descriptions of it, and so we call it the Plague of Cyprian.

But in fact, there's dozens of testimonies to this disease outbreak from what is actually maybe the darkest period of Roman history in terms of its obscurity to us. There are times during these decades where there are people we're not totally sure if they were emperor or if they're made up. That's how bad it is.

But in fact, there's dozens of testimonies to this disease outbreak from what is actually maybe the darkest period of Roman history in terms of its obscurity to us. There are times during these decades where there are people we're not totally sure if they were emperor or if they're made up. That's how bad it is.

But in fact, there's dozens of testimonies to this disease outbreak from what is actually maybe the darkest period of Roman history in terms of its obscurity to us. There are times during these decades where there are people we're not totally sure if they were emperor or if they're made up. That's how bad it is.

There's a lot we don't know about this period where we lack basic facts about emperors and battles and the elites. And yet we have dozens of witnesses to this pandemic event. It was clearly, again, something that really stood out. It caused a very nasty, severe disease that they describe. It's disappointing. We don't know what it was. This is another one.

There's a lot we don't know about this period where we lack basic facts about emperors and battles and the elites. And yet we have dozens of witnesses to this pandemic event. It was clearly, again, something that really stood out. It caused a very nasty, severe disease that they describe. It's disappointing. We don't know what it was. This is another one.

There's a lot we don't know about this period where we lack basic facts about emperors and battles and the elites. And yet we have dozens of witnesses to this pandemic event. It was clearly, again, something that really stood out. It caused a very nasty, severe disease that they describe. It's disappointing. We don't know what it was. This is another one.

These two have not yet been unlocked by laboratory identification. We're trying. We're trying right now. So we may figure this out. But whatever it was, it was perceived to be a major factor in the troubles that afflicted the Roman Empire. So the plague, and again, we should call it the plague of Cyprian, but it's not really the plague.

These two have not yet been unlocked by laboratory identification. We're trying. We're trying right now. So we may figure this out. But whatever it was, it was perceived to be a major factor in the troubles that afflicted the Roman Empire. So the plague, and again, we should call it the plague of Cyprian, but it's not really the plague.

These two have not yet been unlocked by laboratory identification. We're trying. We're trying right now. So we may figure this out. But whatever it was, it was perceived to be a major factor in the troubles that afflicted the Roman Empire. So the plague, and again, we should call it the plague of Cyprian, but it's not really the plague.

It's just a pestilence of the 250s that seems to show up about 251. That's been something I've changed my opinion a little bit about because of some work of others, that the plague probably shows up around 251. It's a little obscure when it shows up. The only contemporary source we have that comments on its geographic origin says it comes from Ethiopia, which is tricky because

It's just a pestilence of the 250s that seems to show up about 251. That's been something I've changed my opinion a little bit about because of some work of others, that the plague probably shows up around 251. It's a little obscure when it shows up. The only contemporary source we have that comments on its geographic origin says it comes from Ethiopia, which is tricky because

It's just a pestilence of the 250s that seems to show up about 251. That's been something I've changed my opinion a little bit about because of some work of others, that the plague probably shows up around 251. It's a little obscure when it shows up. The only contemporary source we have that comments on its geographic origin says it comes from Ethiopia, which is tricky because