This lecture by Dr Troels Pank Arbøll (University of Copenhagen) examines how epidemic afflictions were understood, experienced, and culturally negotiated in ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq and Syria). Drawing on written sources in cuneiform writing from especially the 2nd into the 1st millennium BCE, the talk will discuss how events of widespread disease unfolded in ancient Mesopotamia at the intersection of magic, religion, and medicine.

Building on Dr Pank Arbøll’s new research project "From Catastrophe to Culture: Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia", which seeks to reconstruct an epidemic timeline from ca. 2100-500 BCE, the talk explores how these societies responded to such disasters, and how epidemic outbreaks shaped cultural identities. 

This lecture will take place in the Neill Lecture Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub on Wednesday, 18 February at 5.00pm.

This event will be in-person and not recorded or livestreamed. No booking required.