This manual has been prepared based on the materials of the educational courses “Epidemics and History”, “Disease and History”, which were read for students of the specialty “History” at Saratov State University in 2007/2008.

The place of diseases is considered in the history of human societies from the era of the Ancient World to the present day. The main attention is paid to the demographic, economic, political and cultural consequences of a number of diseases, as well as to how people, authorities and specialists responded to them at different periods of history.

For undergraduate and graduate students of universities, all those interested in the history of civilizations and problems of public health.