Volltext herunterladen
(373.8 KB)
Zitationshinweis
Bitte beziehen Sie sich beim Zitieren dieses Dokumentes immer auf folgenden Persistent Identifier (PID):
https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.316-329
Export für Ihre Literaturverwaltung
Poisoning, Ergotism, Mass Psychosis: Writing a History of Ancient Epidemics Beyond Infectious Diseases
Vergiftung, Ergotismus und Massenpsychose: Antike Seuchengeschichte jenseits von Infektionskrankheiten
[Zeitschriftenartikel]
Abstract For the last 100 years, the modern concept of epidemics as contagious diseases caused by pathogenic agents or microorganisms entering the body has not only dominated present
thinking about epidemics but highly influenced historiographical study of past disease as well. In the case of Greek and Rom... mehr
For the last 100 years, the modern concept of epidemics as contagious diseases caused by pathogenic agents or microorganisms entering the body has not only dominated present
thinking about epidemics but highly influenced historiographical study of past disease as well. In the case of Greek and Roman antiquity, this led to extensive and thorough scholarly work on epidemics fitting the pattern of infectious diseases while incompatible cases were put aside notwithstanding that by ancient definition they were epidemics of the same quality: illness that affects many individuals of the same community at the same time. This includes cases retrospectively explained as mass poisoning, ergotism, and mass hysteria. This article discusses the methodological problem of disparate definitions of modern and ancient epidemics and argues for broadening the source base in the study of ancient epidemics to include accounts of diseases that do not fit into the modern mould of infectious disease. To demonstrate the benefit of this suggestion, two disregarded later ancient epidemics drawn from relatively unknown patristic sources are introduced, which have been explained as fungal poisoning, ergotism, or mass psychosis in the past.... weniger
Thesaurusschlagwörter
Antike; Medizin; Epidemie; Infektionskrankheit
Klassifikation
Sozialgeschichte, historische Sozialforschung
Freie Schlagwörter
disease etiology; John of Ephesus; Victor of Tunnuna; COVID-19
Sprache Dokument
Englisch
Publikationsjahr
2021
Seitenangabe
S. 316-329
Zeitschriftentitel
Historical Social Research, Supplement (2021) 33
Heftthema
Epidemics and Pandemics - the Historical Perspective
ISSN
0936-6784
Status
Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)