For many people in the ancient world, life was no casual stroll around the Forum. Today, many diseases can be treated with modern medicine or prevented entirely, thanks to the development of myriad vaccines to help rid us of the risk of infection (though major inequalities still mean such lifesaving shots are not available to all).
In ancient times, however, these advances simply were not available, making disease an ever present and deadly risk. Kyle Harper, professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma, says that in ancient times life expectancies were so low in part because infectious diseases were such a powerful force.
“They didn't have the biomedical and public health resources that we enjoy today,” he adds. Healthcare to some degree did exist in the ancient world and medical advances were made, but treatment often revolved around dubious remedies, charms, and superstitions.
“The class of diseases that are caused by some kind of microbial invader were one of the most fundamental facts shaping every premodern society,” Harper says.
