Povijest bolesti može se istraživati na različite načine. Istraživanje može ostati u striktno medicinskim okvirima i fokusirati se na oblik bolesti, pitanja prevencije, metode liječenja i drugo. Međutim, bolest nije samo medicinski fenomen zato što se njezine posljedice osjećaju na široj društvenoj razini. Stoga je važno uočiti na koji način bolest utječe na povijest. U radu se ovaj utjecaj promatra na primjeru triju epidemija koje su u različitim povijesnim periodima poharale različita područja. Spomenuti utjecaj promatra se kroz prizmu trajanja, geografskog dosega te pretpostavke bi li povijest bila drugačija da se bolest nije dogodila.; It is possible to study the history of the disease in many different ways. The research can stay within strictly medical frames and it can focus itself on the type of the disease, on questions of its prevention, on methods of its treatment etc. Nevertheless, since its consequences are recognizable on a broader social level, a disease isn't merely a medical phenomenon. Therefore it is very important to understand in which way a disease affects the history. This paper intends to present the examples of three epidemics which in different historical periods plagued various geographical regions. Influence of the disease is analyzed on three levels: duration of each of the epidemics; geographical prevalence and hypothesis whether some disease has changed the course of the history.