"Roman Empire's Pandemics Linked to Climate Change"

A study analyzing climatic conditions in southern Italy from 200 B.C.E. to 600 C.E. suggests that even mild climate changes can impact human health, with pandemic outbreaks in ancient Rome associated with cold snaps. The research reveals correlations between phases of climate change and episodes of acute health crises, emphasizing the potential impact of climate swings on human bodies, pathogens, and responses to pathogens. The study sheds light on the association between Rome's expansion and stable weather, the gradual decline of this pattern, and fluctuation in weather through the later Roman imperial period, culminating in the Late Antique Little Ice Age.