Abstrakt
The chapter is divided into three parts. The first attempts to set epidemics, and particularly plague epidemics, within the broader framework of human history.
In order to do that it formulates three perspectives: plague as biological entity, plague as part of historical narrative and finally also plague as literary entity. Second part of the chapter provides an historical overview of what we believe to be plague as well as other selected infectious agents (smallpox, TB, etc.) in mostly European history.
The last part of the chapter asks whether history of infectious disease provides some useful insight for our biological future.