„Okropne choroby” panoszące się wśród Rzymian w ujęciu Ammiana Marcellina

Sławomir Bralewski

doi:10.18778/1644-857X.22.01.02

Authors

Sławomir Bralewski University of Lodz https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4708-0103

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1644-857X.22.01.02

Keywords:

Ammianus Marcellinus, diseases, plagues, Late Roman Empire

Abstract

Describing diseases was not the aim of Ammianus Marcellinus. He mentioned them whenever the narrative and the events he described required it. He did not treat them instrumentally. Neither he intended to use them to convince his readers of the theses he promoted. At the same time, he eagerly referred to the medical knowledge of that time, be it in order to carry out their scientiﬁc classiﬁcation or description. Ammianus Marcellinus clearly distinguished between diseases suffered by individuals and mass diseases. As for the ﬁrst, it must be emphasized that he wrote about them casually. He devoted more space to the plague, which he approached in a dispassionate way, invoking the knowledge of his time, without involving supernatural powers. Still, Ammianus Marcellinus’s worldview manifested itself in his remarks on issues related to the healing of diseases, not only with appropriate medicines, but also with amulets, spells of an old woman, and the healing of many diseases by a divine hero. His reﬂections on the factors that inﬂuence health are also of particular interest and show that he was particularly aware of this issue. The historian knew about the dependence of health on a proper diet, a moderate lifestyle, body hardening treatments, clean air and water, and a healthy mild climate.

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Author Biography

Sławomir Bralewski, University of Lodz

Prof. Sławomir Bralewski – PhD, full professor at the Department of Byzantine History, Faculty of Philosophy and History, University of Lodz.

Research interests: the history of ancient Rome and Byzantium, especially the relationship between the state and the Church in the late Roman Empire and early Byzantium (4^th to 6^th centuries AD), with a particular focus on the policies of Constantine the Great and the reception of the papacy in the East.

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