HIST 258: Plagues, Diseases, and Epidemics in History (HC): Background

 A physician treats a woman with the plague (French chapel fresco, end of the 15th century).  Perhaps the angel is encouraging the demon to find more sinners who should be punished with the plague.

Literature reviews are a particularly useful resource when doing research.  They address the issues involved in a particular question and the debates among scholars.  They map out the intellectual terrain succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles for greater understanding. 

The following sources provide overviews of ideas, people, and events in the history of classical aniquity and the Middle Ages.  They are a quick way to find out the basic facts and current points of debate.

When using an article in an encyclopedia or handbook, always check the bibliography for further reading at the end of the article. It will provide a selective list of the books, articles, and, frequently, Web resources considered to be the most up-to-date and reliable.