The Antonine Plague of 165-180 AD, the Pandemic the Roman Army Brought Home
Returning from the Parthian war in 165 AD, Rome's legions carried a new disease — probably smallpox — through every province of the empire at its very peak. The physician Galen described it; estimates of the dead run to five million or more, possibly including the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Historians still argue whether Rome's long decline starts here.
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