Page 46 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

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theriac and mithridate as universal remedies zgodovino Ljubljane v srednjem veku’ (1965),
and argued in favour of specific treatments. mentioning the plague in July 1466 and the ban
Above all, he analysed the concept of disease on the city of Udine travelling to Ljubljana due
‘seeds’ (seminarium) and contagion, distin- to suspicion of the plague in June 1496 (Otorep-
guishing – in contrast to Schegkius – between ec 1965, X/81, X/94). More recent research has
contagion and physical contact (tactus, contac- produced new methodological approaches and
tus) with the diseased. His vivid description of in-depth regional studies. In his works on the
the symptoms suggests first-hand experience plague, particularly in the Lower Carniola re-
as a physician, while his analysis of contagion gion, Boris Golec (2022) illuminated the epide-
both draws on ancient authors and anticipates miological picture of Lower Carniola and made
the later work of Marko Anton Plenčič. A later the radical observation that the sources docu-
work, Exercitationum de peste libri duo (Investi- menting these epidemics often contain exagger-
46 gations About the Plague Book Two, Kempten ated death figures, making it difficult to accu-
1619), which is only indirectly known, could rately assess the actual situation. Many historical
have been a continuation of these studies (Ver- records that mention high death rates are often
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 1 / volume 13 (2025), number 1
bec 1618; Mušič 1982). inaccurate and the demographic consequences of
The study of plague in Slovenian territories the epidemics were in reality less dramatic than
has developed through several distinct phases depicted. The epidemics also caused economic
and has been shaped by several generations of his- difficulties as the closures and quarantines dis-
torians who gradually developed an understand- rupted trade routes, leading to poverty and short-
ing of this important epidemiological and social ages. Although the epidemics were destructive
phenomenon. Janez Vajkard Valvasor’s Die Ehre by nature, their actual consequences were often
dess Hertzogthums Crain (1689) provided the first overlooked, although they remain in the collec-
comprehensive account of the plague epidemics tive memory (Golec 2022). Urška Bratož (for-
in Carniola, documenting outbreaks, folk reme- merly Železnik) made important contributions
dies and social reactions to the disease. Vladimir to the understanding of the social aspects of epi-
Travner’s monograph Kuga na Slovenskem (1934) demics in the Littoral region. She investigated the
represents the next important milestone that sys- plague outbreaks in the towns of the northern
tematically dealt with the plague epidemics in Adriatic in the seventeenth and eighteenth cen-
the Slovenian lands, focussing on public health turies, focussing on legal records, containment
measures and mortality rates. Ema Umek’s study measures and the impact on the population, es-
‘Kuga na Štajerskem v letih 1679–1683’ (1958) pecially during the 1630–1631 epidemic in Koper,
made an important contribution to the under- and comparing the methods of plague control be-
standing of the last major epidemic in Styria, tween Venetian Istria and the Austrian territories
while Majda Smole wrote a study on the plague (Železnik 2007; 2013; 2015; Bratož 2020).
in Carniola in the sixteenth century (1957). Based on this work, several important find-
Božo Otorepec documented the occurrence ings about the plague in the Slovenian territo-
of the plague in central Slovenia in ‘Gradivo za ries have emerged. The disease spread mainly

1 Theriac: the term ‘theriac’ comes from the Greek word θηριακή (thēriakē), which means ‘of wild animals’. It was a complex me-
dicinal concoction containing various ingredients such as opium, myrrh, saffron, ginger, cinnamon and castor oil. Theriac was
believed to have protective properties against poisons and was used as a universal antidote in ancient times. It was particularly
popular in the Roman and Byzantine eras and was often associated with the treatment of snake bites and other toxic exposures.
2 Mithridate: mithridate refers specifically to a type of theriac named after Mithridates VI, the king of Pontus who ruled from
120 to 63 BC. According to historical accounts, Mithridates developed this antidote to protect himself from poisoning, as he
was known to have been the target of numerous assassination attempts. Mithridates consisted of various ingredients, similar to
theriac, and was considered a general antidote for a variety of poisons. Over time, the term ‘mithridate’ has come to refer to any
all-purpose antidote. Both theriac and mithridate reflect the ancient understanding of pharmacology and efforts to create rem-
edies for the dangers of poisons in the environment.