1. Outbrake of the famine

A famine which lasted for almost one year afflicted Antioch on the Orontes from 384 until 385. Meanwhile an unidentified epidemic appeared in the city causing many victims. More specifically, an unusually long drought had stroke the whole area of the Mediterranean basin already from 383. The damage to the grain cultivations had resulted into the decrease of production and consequently to the limited availability of these products and the abrupt increase of their price.¹

2. Confrontation, reactions

In order to secure that the financially weaker urban masses would be able to purchase bread, the governor of Coele-Syria regulated a specific, low price for the selling of this kind of foodstuff. This, however, had the opposite result, since bakers had to buy their feedstock in a higher price than the one they had to sell the final product. Thus, they massively abandoned the city, in which a sudden famine broke out.

3. Crisis management

The bad climatological conditions continued also during the winter of 384/385 when heavy and lengthy rains destroyed the grain harvest once again. Meanwhile, an unidentified epidemic broke out in Antioch and decimated a large number of the, already exhausted from the famine, inhabitants. Its duration was apparently not long. After an intervention of the local senator and famous orator Libanius, a compromise was achieved between the administration and the bakers, ending the crisis in a short time.²