Antonine Plague, 165–180

The epidemic commonly called the Antonine Plague appeared during the reign of Marcus Aurelius after Roman armies campaigned against Parthia. Descriptions associated with the physician Galen suggest a severe infectious disease, possibly smallpox, that recurred for years.

Its effects included high mortality among soldiers and civilians, disruption of movement and pressure on taxation and recruitment. The disease travelled along the same roads, rivers and sea routes that connected the imperial army to the provinces.

Who All Die imagines the young Oclatinius Adventus escorting survivors from the eastern war while illness and pursuit reduce a military column to a struggle for survival.