---
title: Plague of Cyprian, 250-270 CE
author: John Horgan
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/992/plague-of-cyprian-250-270-ce/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---
# Plague of Cyprian, 250-270 CE
_Authored by [John Horgan](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/jhorgan/)_
The [Plague](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/plague/) of Cyprian erupted in Ethiopia around [Easter](https://www.worldhistory.org/Easter/) of 250 CE. It reached [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/) in the following year eventually spreading to [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/) and further east to [Syria](https://www.worldhistory.org/syria/). The plague lasted nearly 20 years and, at its height, reportedly killed as many as 5,000 people per day in Rome. Contributing to the rapid spread of sickness and [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) was the constant [warfare](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) confronting the [empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/) due to a series of attacks on the frontiers: Germanic tribes invading [Gaul](https://www.worldhistory.org/gaul/) and Parthians attacking [Mesopotamia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamia/). Periods of drought, floods and famine exhausted the populations while the emperorship was rocked with turmoil. St. Cyprian (200-258 CE), bishop of [Carthage](https://www.worldhistory.org/carthage/), remarked that it appeared as if the world was at an end.
[  Relic of St. Cyprian ACBahn (CC BY-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6120/relic-of-st-cyprian/ "Relic of St. Cyprian")### Naming & Interpretation
The outbreak was named after Cyprian as his first-hand observations of the illness largely form the basis for what the world would come to know about the crisis. He wrote about the incident in stark detail in his work *De Mortalitate* (“On Mortality”). Sufferers experienced bouts of diarrhoea, continuous vomiting, fever, deafness, blindness, paralysis of their legs and feet, swollen throats and blood filled their eyes (conjunctival bleeding) while staining their mouths. More often than not, death resulted. The source of the terrible affliction was interpreted by pagans as a punishment from the gods. This was not an unusual interpretation from a pre-Christian or early Christian [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) throughout the [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) world which understood disease to be supernatural in origin. Later scholars and historians sought alternative explanations.
### Nature of the Disease
Identifying diseases from the ancient world is always difficult as the state of [medicine](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/medicine/) and diagnosis lacked the degree of knowledge and sophistication available to modern [science](https://www.worldhistory.org/science/). Based upon the surviving accounts, the illness appeared to be highly contagious, transmitted both by direct and indirect contact (including through clothing). Throughout the centuries since the episode, scholars suggested a number of possibilities for the disease which ravaged the empire in the 3rd century CE: bubonic plague, typhus, cholera, smallpox, measles and anthrax. The lack of certain tell-tale symptoms eliminated many of these early suspects e.g. bubonic plague was eliminated as the contemporaneous accounts make no mention of swellings or buboes on the bodies of the afflicted. The variety of known symptoms suggested a combination of diseases including meningitis and acute bacillary dysentery. Kyle Harper, in his article “Pandemics and Passages to Late Antiquity,” argued that the most likely culprit was a viral hemorrhagic fever possibly Ebola.
A potential breakthrough in identifying the disease occurred in 2014 CE when Italian archaeologists unearthed bodies from the Funerary Complex of Harwa at Luxor (formerly [Thebes](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Thebes/)). It was discovered that attempts were made to stop the spread of the disease by covering the corpses with lime as well as burning the bodies. Attempts to extract DNA from the remains proved futile as the [Egyptian](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Egyptian/) climate causes the complete destruction of DNA. Without the DNA evidence, there may never be conclusive proof as to the actual disease(s) that ravaged Rome and the empire 1,800 years ago.
[  Icon of St. Cyprian Unknown Artist (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6121/icon-of-st-cyprian/ "Icon of St. Cyprian")### Consequences
The disease episode of the mid-200s CE caused political, military, economic and religious upheaval. In addition to the thousands of people dying per day in Rome and the immediate vicinity, the outbreak claimed the lives of two emperors: Hostilian in 251 CE and [Claudius](https://www.worldhistory.org/claudius/) II Gothicus in 270 CE. The period in between the emperors witnessed political instability as rivals struggled to claim and hold the throne. The lack of leadership and the depletion of soldiers from the ranks of the [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) legions contributed to the deteriorating condition of the empire by weakening Rome's ability to fend off external attacks. The widespread onset of illness also caused populations in the countryside to flee to the [cities](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/). The abandonment of the fields along with the deaths of farmers who remained caused the collapse of [agriculture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Agriculture/) production. In some areas, swamps re-emerged rendering those fields useless.
Only the nascent Christian church benefitted from the chaos. The illness claimed the lives of emperors and pagans who could offer no explanation for the cause of the plague or suggestions for how to prevent further illness much less actions for curing the sick and dying. Christians played an active role in caring for the ill as well as actively providing care in the [burial](https://www.worldhistory.org/burial/) of the dead. Those Christians who themselves perished from the illness claimed martyrdom while offering non-believers who would convert the possibility of rewards in the Christian afterlife. Ultimately this episode not only strengthened but helped to spread [Christianity](https://www.worldhistory.org/christianity/) throughout the furthest reaches of the empire and Mediterranean world.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored article has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- [Ancient Plague Victims Found in Egypt](http://www.history.com/news/ancient-plague-victims-found-in-egypt "Ancient Plague Victims Found in Egypt"), accessed 13 Dec 2016.
- [How an apocalyptic plague helped spread Christianity](http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/23/how-an-apocalyptic-plague-helped-christianity/ "How an apocalyptic plague helped spread Christianity"), accessed 13 Dec 2016.
- [Remains of 'End of the World' Epidemic Found in Ancient Egypt](http://www.livescience.com/46335-remains-of-ancient-egypt-epidemic-found.html "Remains of 'End of the World' Epidemic Found in Ancient Egypt"), accessed 13 Dec 2016.
- [The Plagues That Might Have Brought Down the Roman Empire](http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/03/plagues-roman-empire/473862/ "The Plagues That Might Have Brought Down the Roman Empire"), accessed 13 Dec 2016.
- Harper, K. "Pandemics and Passages to Late Antiquity: Rethinking the Plague of c. 249-70 Described by Cyprian." *Journal of Roman Archaeology*, 28 (2015), pp. 223-60.
- Zinsser, H. *Rats, Lice and History.* Transaction Publishers: Piscataway, NJ, 2007
## About the Author
Currently an Assistant Professor of History at Concordia University-Wisconsin in the United States. His on-going reading and research interests include plagues & diseases and food in world history .
## Cite This Work
### APA
Horgan, J. (2016, December 13). Plague of Cyprian, 250-270 CE. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Horgan, John. "Plague of Cyprian, 250-270 CE." *World History Encyclopedia*, December 13, 2016. .
### MLA
Horgan, John. "Plague of Cyprian, 250-270 CE." *World History Encyclopedia*, 13 Dec 2016, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [John Horgan](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/jhorgan/ "User Page: John Horgan"), published on 13 December 2016. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.