# Did Smallpox Plague Ancient Rome? - The Pax Romana Podcast 95

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pax-romana-podcast-6582386/did-smallpox-plague-ancient-rome-the-pax-romana-podcast-95
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pax-romana-podcast-6582386/did-smallpox-plague-ancient-rome-the-pax-romana-podcast-95.md
Podcast: [The Pax Romana Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pax-romana-podcast-6582386)
Published: 2025-12-24T06:32:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paxromanapodcast/episodes/Did-Smallpox-Plague-Ancient-Rome----The-Pax-Romana-Podcast-95-e3cod4q
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/e76256a0/podcast/play/113046106/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-11-23%2F7f7c7797-05da-527a-4ddb-4e690f250455.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-pax-romana-podcast-6582386/episodes/did-smallpox-plague-ancient-rome-the-pax-romana-podcast-95
Duration seconds: 1264

## Resource

Disease shaped population levels, military strength and the stability of imperial institutions in the Roman Empire. Smallpox, a highly lethal viral disease known from the early modern period and eradicated only in the twentieth century, has long been assumed to have been part of that ancient disease environment. A recent-ish article in the Journal of Roman Studies challenges that assumption, showing that there is no firm evidence that the classical form of smallpox existed in the Roman world. This article helped shape my own thinking in my book, Pox Romana , and I'm thrilled to take the time to explain the article's argument and why it matters for Roman history. Read Newfield et al. (2022), ' Smallpox's Antiquity in Doubt ' Donate: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WZTWCMWCJJYFC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ProfCPE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Professor Elliott's book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

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