title: Pestilence narratives in classical literature: a study in creative imitation. II. Virgil, Ovid, Seneca, and Silius Italicus.
abstract: This article further explores patterns and traditions in classical accounts of pestilence. Recurring themes and expressions show that classical authors often copied earlier narratives, although literary analysis reveals that they sometimes embellished or distorted facts for their own purposes.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Dirckx
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D018645:Greek World; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008091:Literature / Q000266:history*; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D010930:Plague / Q000266:history*; D011037:Poetry as Topic / Q000266:history; D018644:Roman World