All Roads Lead to Risk: Malaria Threat to Travellers in the Roman World

Recent interest in the role of pandemics and epidemics in history has highlighted the burden of malaria in the ancient world. Nevertheless, no study heretofore has produced a spatial model for malaria risk in antiquity. Furthermore, the unique threat of malaria to ancient travellers and their threat to others has escaped serious study. To address these gaps for application to certain historical problems, a model for malaria risk in the Roman world is constructed and extended to project risk for travellers on Roman roads. The project is intentionally cross-disciplinary in bringing the technical capabilities of GIS to the task of evaluating nuanced textual sources for historical reconstruction.

Automated summary

Recent interest in the role of pandemics and epidemics in history has emphasized the burden of malaria in the ancient world. This study constructs a spatial model for malaria risk in the Roman world and extends it to project risk for travelers on Roman roads. By integrating the technical capabilities of GIS with nuanced textual sources, the study aims to address historical gaps and reconstruct the impact of malaria on ancient populations.