Pandemics have been a long-standing object of study by economists, albeit with declining
interest, that is until COVID-19 arrived. We review current knowledge on the pandemics' …

Here is the monumental retelling of one of the most consequential chapters of human
history: the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome is the first book to examine the …

This article provides an overview of recent literature on plagues and other lethal epidemics,
covering the period from late Antiquity to ca. 1800. We analyze the main environmental and …

A key question in economic history is the degree to which preindustrial economies could
generate sustained increases in per capita productivity. Previous studies suggest that, in …

COVID-19 has ushered in a new planetary epoch—the Virocene. In doing so, it has laid bare
the limits of humanity's power over nature, exposing the vulnerability of 'normal'ways of living …

This essay offers a critique of, and a set of alternative approaches to, the study of Roman
economic well-being. It examines the calculations, methods, and assumptions used to …

COVID-19 has brought to the forefront of academic debates the consequences of pandemics
and their appropriate policy responses. Using the PRISMA methodology, we provide a …

Kyle Harper's article on the “Plague of Cyprian” that appeared in this journal in 2015
constitutes the only comprehensive study to date of this important disease outbreak in the …

The pursuit of wealth has been a basic occupation of humans; as it turns out, wealth
increases life expectancy. Analyzing global data, we show that money, probably connected …

Ancient Rome was the largest and most populous empire of its time, and the largest pre-
industrial state in European history. Recent though not universally accepted research …