Egypt as a Gateway for the Passage of Pathogens into the Ancient Mediterranean

Abstract

Abstract Ancient Egypt plays a crucial role in the history of infectious disease. An intersection for communication and commerce, Egypt linked disparate civilizations and ecologies, allowing the spread of local epidemics and Mediterranean-wide pandemics. The region south of Egypt developed a pestilential reputation, due in part to Thucydides’ account of the Plague of Athens, which traced the disease’s origins to that area. Later records are modeled on Thucydides’ account, muddling the true origins and scope of later outbreaks. Critical reading of ancient literature and documents—particularly papyri—supplemented with archeological and palaeoscientific evidence, significantly improves our understanding of how Egypt facilitated the circulation of pathogens between the western Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.