When Disaster Defines Us: Cultural Responses to Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia

A lecture by Dr Troels Pank Arbøll (University of Copenhagen) organised by the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies.

This presentation 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 the presenter’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 event is run in accordance with Trinity’s Dignity and Respect policy, and its commitment to nurturing a respectful and inclusive research culture.
Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: WORTHINM@tcd.ie