A HISTORY OF PANDEMICS PODCAST
A new podcast that sheds light on how societies and people across millennia have battled infamous pandemics and plagues - facing many of the same issues that we face today with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Discover new insights into the battle with pandemics and plagues, and how they shape the current world. Listen to the experiences of past societies - how doctors in Ancient Greece died trying to heal patients, how the Black Death spread to Medieval Britain from Asia via northern Italy, how people were forced to self-isolate, and more.
Featuring expert commentary from academics within Queen’s University Belfast’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Listen To A History Of Pandemics
Check Out The Episodes Below

Episode 1
Civilisation Under Attack
Discover the devastating impact of pandemics in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. This was a time when social distancing was out of the question.
Featuring Dr John Curran, senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. 16 min

Episode 2
Great Pestilence
Medieval Britain, Ireland and Europe face a killer pandemic that they couldn’t have imagined – ‘the human race is almost wiped out’.
Featuring Dr James Davis, senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. 14 min

Episode 3
After The Plague
Medieval Britain, Ireland and Europe are engulfed in a recurring pandemic (The Black Death) that threatens their very existence.
Featuring Dr James Davis, senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. 19 min

Episode 4
The One Who Flies
In Medieval Europe people believed that comets ushered in plague and pestilence - find out why and what modern science can tell us about the basis of these beliefs?
Featuring Dr Marilina Cesario, senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, and Prof Francis Leneghan, Professor of Old English at Oxford University. 22 min

Bonus Episode
Economies Under Strain
A discussion on how the coronavirus pandemic might lead to long-term changes to where we live, our cityscapes and our working practices.
Featuring Dr Graham Brownlow and Dr Niall Farrell, lecturers at Queen’s University Belfast. 50 min


