when did the plague of justinian start

Where did the plague of Justinian start?

How and Where Did the Plague Spread? Like the modern bubonic plague, scientists believe the Plague of Justinian spread through fleas. Studies indicate the plague may have originated in China or India and was then transported to the fertile valleys of Egypt through trade routes.

When did the first plague start?

The plague is thought to have originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago and was likely spread by trading ships, though recent research has indicated the pathogen responsible for the Black Death may have existed in Europe as early as 3000 B.C.

When was the Justinian plague discovered?

The plague of Justinian or Justinianic plague (541–549 AD) was the first major outbreak of the first plague pandemic, the first Old World pandemic of plague, the contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis....Plague of JustinianDate541–549 ADDeathsNot known3 more rows

Where and when did the plague begin?

It was believed to start in China in 1334, spreading along trade routes and reaching Europe via Sicilian ports in the late 1340s. The plague killed an estimated 25 million people, almost a third of the continent's population. The Black Death lingered on for centuries, particularly in cities.

Is the Black Death still around?

Today, modern antibiotics are effective in treating plague. Without prompt treatment, the disease can cause serious illness or death. Presently, human plague infections continue to occur in rural areas in the western United States, but significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia.

Which plague is the oldest?

bubonic plague strainThe bacterium behind the Black Death, which wrought devastation in medieval times, has been found in the skull of a man who lived 5000 years ago in what is now Latvia, making it the earliest known plague strain.

How long did the plague last?

The plague resurfaced roughly every 10 years from 1348 to 1665—40 outbreaks in just over 300 years.

Is there a cure for the plague of Justinian?

Treatment for the Plague was very limited. There was not a known cure for the disease.

How many were killed in the Justinian plague?

between 30 and 50 million peopleThe Justinian plague struck in the sixth century and is estimated to have killed between 30 and 50 million people—about half the world's population at that time—as it spread across Asia, North Africa, Arabia, and Europe.

How was the plague stopped?

How did it end? The most popular theory of how the plague ended is through the implementation of quarantines. The uninfected would typically remain in their homes and only leave when it was necessary, while those who could afford to do so would leave the more densely populated areas and live in greater isolation.

Is the plague the same as the Black Death?

Bubonic plague is an infection spread mostly to humans by infected fleas that travel on rodents. Called the Black Death, it killed millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages. Prevention doesn't include a vaccine, but does involve reducing your exposure to mice, rats, squirrels and other animals that may be infected.

Why did the plague begin?

Because living conditions were often cramped and dirty, humans lived in close contact with rats. Black rats were the most common at this time, and carried the bacteria called Yersinia pestis, which caused the plague. The rats then spread it to fleas that lived on their bodies.

When did the first plague start and end?

The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or simply the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353.

How did the plague first start?

In October 1347, a ship came from the Crimea and Asia and docked in Messina, Sicily. Aboard the ship were not only sailors but rats. The rats brought with them the Black Death, the bubonic plague. Reports that came to Europe about the disease indicated that 20 million people had died in Asia.

What are the 3 plagues?

Forms of plague.Bubonic plague: The incubation period of bubonic plague is usually 2 to 8 days. ... Septicemic plague: The incubation period of septicemic plague is poorly defined but likely occurs within days of exposure. ... Pneumonic plague: The incubation period of pneumonic plague is usually just 1 to 3 days.More items...

What caused the first plague?

The first plague pandemic was the first historically recorded Old World pandemic of plague, the contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

Where did the plague start?

The Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea (500-565 CE) identified the beginning of the plague in Pelusium on the Nile River's northern and eastern shores. According to Wendy Orent, author of Plague, the disease spread in two directions: north to Alexandria and east to Palestine. The means of transmission of the plague was ...

What type of plague was the Byzantine Empire plague?

Based upon DNA analysis of bones found in graves, the type of plague that struck the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Justinian was bubonic (Yersinia pestis), although it was very probable that the other two types of plague, pneumonic and septicemic, were also present. It was also bubonic plague which would devastate 14th-century CE Europe (better known as the Black Death ), killing upwards of 50 million people or nearly half the entire population of the continent. Plague was not new to history even in the time of Justinian. Wendy Orent suggests that the first recorded account of bubonic plague is told in the Old Testament in the story of the Philistines who stole the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites and succumbed to “swellings.”

How did trade and trade help the Byzantine Empire?

War and trade facilitated the spread of the disease throughout the Byzantine Empire. Justinian spent the early years of his reign defeating a variety of enemies: battling Ostrogoths for control over Italy; fighting Vandals and Berbers for control in North Africa; and fending off Franks, Slavs, Avars, and other barbarian tribes engaged in raids against the empire. Historians have suggested that soldiers, and the supply trains supporting their military efforts, acted as the means of transmission for the rats and fleas carrying the plague. By 542 CE, Justinian had re-conquered most of his empire but, as Wendy Orent points out, peace, prosperity, and commerce also provided appropriate conditions for facilitating a plague outbreak. Constantinople, the political capital of the eastern Roman Empire, doubled as the center of commercial trade for the empire. The capital's location along the Black and Aegean seas made it the perfect crossroads for trade routes from China, the Middle East, and North Africa. Where trade and commerce went, so went rats, fleas, and the plague.

What were the effects of the plague in Italy?

The colder than usual weather affected crop harvests, leading to food shortages that resulted in the movements of people throughout the region. Accompanying these reluctant migrants were plague-infected, flea-ridden rats. Cold, tired, hungry people on the go, combined with illness and disease in the midst of warfare, as well as an increased rat population carrying a highly infectious disease, created the perfect conditions for an epidemic. And what an epidemic it would be: named after the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (482-565 CE; emperorship 527-565 CE), Justinian's plague affected nearly half the population of Europe.

When did the plague end?

During the reign of the emperor Justinian I (527-565 CE), one of the worst outbreaks of the plague took place, claiming the lives of millions of people. The plague arrived in Constantinople in 542 CE, almost a year after the disease first made its appearance in the outer provinces of the empire. The outbreak continued to sweep throughout the Mediterranean world for another 225 years, finally disappearing in 750 CE.

How did the plague affect the Byzantine Empire?

Effects on the Byzantine Empire. The plague episode contributed to a weakening of the Byzantine Empire in political and economic ways. As the disease spread throughout the Mediterranean world, the empire's ability to resist its enemies weakened.

How long did the plague last?

The outbreak lasted about four months in Constantinople but would continue to persist for roughly the next three centuries, with the last outbreak reported in 750 CE. There would be no more large-scale outbreaks of plague until the 14th century CE Black Death episode. Remove Ads. Advertisement.

How did the plague of Justinian spread?

The Plague of Justinian was transmitted by the rats which were carried on the grain ship and carts that were sent to Constantinople as a tribute. In the 8th century, North Africa was the major source of grain for the empire. The grains were stored in warehouses which provided perfect breeding grounds for rats and fleece which were responsible for the plague. The epidemic was first reported in 541 from the port of Pelusium in Egypt. The plague spread in two different directions; east to Palestina and north to Alexandria.

What was the first recorded epidemic?

The Plague of Justinian is regarded as the first recorded epidemic based on the description of the clinical manifestation of the epidemic. Based on the samples taken from the remains of the 14th-century victims, it is suggested that the plague arose from Yersinia pestis.

What is the deadliest plague in history?

One of the deadliest plagues is the Plague of Justinian which caused millions of deaths and can only be compared to the Black Death that killed almost half Europe’s population in the 1300s.

What were the symptoms of the plague of Justinian?

The victims of the Plague of Justinian are described by Procopius as people suffering from delusion, high fever, and swellings in different parts of the body including armpits, groins, and behind the ears. The swellings were filled with pus.

How many people died in the plague of Justinian?

Although the number of deaths is not clear, scholars believe that the Plague of Justinian killed about 5,000 people daily in the capital at its peak. Consequently, approximately 40% of the population of Constantinople perished from the plague and about 25% of the empire’s population (50 million) died.

How long did the plague last?

The Plague of Justinian broke out during the reign of Emperor Justinian I and lasted about one year (541-542), resulting in the death of millions of people. The pandemic afflicted the Eastern Roman Empire and was more severe in the capital Constantinople.

What was the purpose of the soldiers and supplies supporting his military efforts?

It has been suggested that the soldiers and the supplies supporting his military efforts were a means of transmission of the rats and fleas carrying the plague. The capital Constantinople was located at a crossroad for trade routes and where the trade commerce went so did the rats go.

What Was the Plague of Justinian?

What was the plague of Justinian? Modern scientists have used DNA evidence from skeletal remains to determine that the bacteria responsible for Justinian's plague, Yersinia pestis, is the same bacteria that caused the Black Death in Europe centuries later. This plague was the first documented pandemic in world history and lasted from 541 to 544 CE. The plague's first recorded appearance was in northern Africa. However, historians still debate its origins, with some evidence that it may have originated in the Tian Shan mountains in central Asia. However, regardless of its source, the plague spread rapidly through the Byzantine Empire, reaching Constantinople by 542 CE.

How Did the Plague of Justinian Spread?

Grain is a favorite food source of rats, well known for carrying fleas with the plague. Rats generally do not move more than 200 meters from their place of birth throughout their lives, but when the grain was loaded onto ships, they followed it and transported the fleas and plague all over the empire. In addition, war and decades-long cold snap caused food shortages and forced people to immigrate to new locations, taking the illness with them.

How long did the plague last?

The plague of Justinian lasted from 541 to 544 CE. However, outbreaks of the plague occurred off and on throughout the Mediterranean region for the next two centuries.

How many people died in the plague of Justinian?

The plague of Justinian killed about 25 million people, including between 20 and 40% of the population of Constantinople. Until recently, historians believed that the plague was one of the causes for the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and its surrender to the Moors since there were fewer people available to produce food and fight in wars. However, scholars have recently uncovered evidence suggesting that this was not the case and that whatever the cause of the empire's collapse, it was most likely not the plague.

How many people died during the plague?

Procopius claims that 10,000 people were dying every day at the peak of the plague, but most historians agree this number is exaggerated. The more realistic number is 5,000 a day, which is still a staggering amount of death in a short period.

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What caused the Justinian outbreak?

Researchers were able to substantiate that the Justinianic outbreak was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the same organism that caused the Black Death. Both ancient and modern Yersinia pestis strains were discovered in the Tian Shan mountains, suggesting that the disease may have originated from there.

How long did the plague last?

Although the first wave, often labeled the Justinianic Plague, or the Plague of Justinian, lasted until 549, the pestilence reoccurred regularly for around 200 years, persisting well into the 8th century. As a result, historians have identified the first plague pandemic as one of the deadliest in history, responsible for the deaths ...

What was the first plague?

The Plague of Justinian: The First Recorded Global Pandemic. The devastating plague tore through the Byzantine Empire, which was ruled by Emperor Justinian I. This was the start of the first of three historical plague pandemics, the second being the Black Death in the 14th century, and the third being the plague pandemic of the 20th century.

Where was the Justinian Plague first reported?

The plague was first reported within the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire but was initially observed in Egypt in 541. Electron Microphotograph of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria thought to have caused the Justinianic Plague, via Missouri University of Science and Technology.

How many people died from the plague in Constantinople?

Historians have estimated that the actual death rate at the height of the plague in Constantinople was likely closer to 5,000 deaths a day, which is still an astounding number. Between 20 and 40% of the population of the city would eventually succumb to the disease.

Where did the plague of Justinian begin?

More specifically, it began the spread at the port of Pelusium in the eastern Nile Delta of Egypt. From there, the plague was carried across the Empire both by land and sea.

Why did the Byzantine capital get hit by the plague?

Thus, due to their grain trade with Egypt, the Byzantine capital was struck by the Plague of Justinian. The spread was likely a result of rats stowing away on grain ships.

What was the Death Toll of the Plague of Justinian?

The bubonic plague was a terrible disease that rapidly infected the Mediterranean population and ground Byzantine operations to a halt. No one was spared as the plague affected members from all classes of society.

What did Justinian want from the Byzantine Empire?

He hoped that the Byzantines could reconquer lost territories from the Western Roman Empire, including the illustrious city of Rome, and add to the prestige of the Byzantine Empire.

What was the black plague?

All three of these devastating pandemics were variations of bubonic plague that were thought to have been carried by rats—or fleas that used rats for transmission.

What was the plague of Justinian?

As it turns out, the Plague of Justinian was a form of the deadly bubonic plague Yersinia pestis ( Y. pestis ). This meant that this variation of the bubonic plague was cousin to the plague responsible for the “Black Death” occurring centuries later.

How long did the plague last in Justinian?

In actuality the Plague of Justinian was a particularly severe outbreak of the bubonic plague. The outbreak in the 6th century would last for nearly 200 years before ending, and is thus known as the First Plague Pandemic.

How long did the plague last?

The initial outbreak of the plague may have only lasted for less than a decade, but historians estimate that the plague would return in waves over the next two centuries.

How many people died in the plague of Justinian?

In a city with a population of ~400,000 at the time, this equates to nearly 240,000 deaths in just one city.

How did the plague affect the Byzantine Empire?

However, the plague depleted the finances of the Byzantine Empire because it relied on taxation to finance its armies and construction projects. Justinian also became infected with the plague but survived. The Sasanian Empire, great rivals to the Byzantines who were based in Mesopotamia and Iran, were also affected, although we have fewer surviving records.

What was the plague of Justinian?

The Plague of Justinian (541–542 CE) was one of the worst plagues in recorded history, arguably bringing two major empires to devastation and affecting numerous societies across Eurasia. The only other known event comparable to its impact was the Black Death of the 14th century. These two plagues are perhaps even related, as both seem to start in Central Asia and are based on the plague carried by rats.

What happened to the Byzantine Empire during the plague?

The Byzantine Empire, when the plague occurred, was a rising empire spreading its power through southern Europe and the western Mediterranean. It is possible the empire could have reunited the Roman Empire, but the plague ultimately made this dream impossible. While we cannot be sure what would have happened if the epidemic did not occur, the emergence of northern Europe out of its Dark Age may have occurred sooner.

How did the plague spread?

The plague could have spread to the Byzantine Empire for many reasons. Still, it could have been migrating travels from Central Asia, including possibly Huns migrating towards Europe around this time, helping to spread the plague. This era was also during a period of relatively cold winters and failed crops that may have prompted migrations that brought the disease with travelers.

What was the immediate consequence of the plague?

The immediate consequence of the plague was that it severely limited Byzantine expansion across southern Europe, ending Justinian's dream of reuniting the Roman Empire.

What was the cause of the rise of monarchies in Northern Europe?

However, another possibility is that northern Europe, as it became isolated, developed its political institutions and relationships, leading to the rise of monarchies in Northern Europe that affected the regions there different from southern Europe and the Mediterranean. This may have led northern Europe to develop a very independent political history that may not have been possible without the plague. It is also possible that conquering Arab armies of the 7th century would have found it harder to defeat both the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires in the 7th century.

What were the Byzantines' most important lands?

Many of these lands, particularly Jerusalem, Egypt, and Antioch, were critical to the Byzantines. Thus, the Byzantines launched a series of wars to recover these areas. This effort depleted both empires, leading to their weakened states. With these two great empires that effectively controlled the most important cities west of India weakened, the situation did enable the rising Arabs in the mid-7th century to take advantage of the declining powers across the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. At this point, both those great empires were a shadow of their earlier versions.

What was Justinian's role in the Byzantine Empire?

Justinian is best remembered for his work as a legislator and codifier. During his reign, Justinian reorganized the government of the Byzantine Empire and enacted several reforms to increase accountability and reduce corruption. He also sponsored the codification of laws known as the Codex Justinianus ...

What war broke out in 540?

War broke out again in 540, when Justinian was fully occupied in Italy. Justinian had somewhat neglected the army in the East, and in 540 Khosrow moved into Mesopotamia, northern Syria, and Byzantine Armenia and systematically looted the key cities. In 541 he invaded Lazica in the north. Belisarius, now reappointed commander in chief in the East, launched counteroffensives in 541 and 542 before his recall to Italy. The war dragged on under other generals and was to some extent hindered by bubonic plague. A five-years’ truce was made in 545 and renewed in 551 but still did not extend to Lazica, which the Persians obstinately refused to restore, and a fierce struggle continued intermittently in this mountainous region. When the truce was again renewed in 557, however, Lazica was included. Finally, a 50 years’ truce was negotiated, probably at the end of 561; Byzantium agreed to pay an annual tribute of 30,000 solidi (gold coins), and the Persians renounced all claim to the small Christian kingdom of Lazica, an important bulwark against northern invaders. Justinian had thus maintained his eastern provinces virtually intact in spite of the vigorous offensives of the Persian king, so his policy on this front can hardly be described as a failure.

What is the code of Justinian?

The Codex Justinianus, or Code of Justinian, was a legal code. It consisted of the various sets of laws and legal interpretations collected and codified by scholars under the direction of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. The code synthesized collections of past laws and extracts of the opinions of the great Roman jurists. It also included an elementary outline of the law and a collection of Justinian’s own new laws. The four-book code was completed in stages. Work on the first book, the Codex Constitutionum, began shortly after Justinian’s elevation in 527. The second book, the Digesta, was drawn up between 530 and 533. The third book, Institutiones, was compiled and published in 533, and the fourth book, Novellae Constitutiones Post Codicem, was completed upon Justinian’s death in 565.

What were the two important aspects of Justinian's foreign policy?

Two important facets of Justinian’s foreign policy were his continuation of the age-old struggle with Persia and his attempt to regain the former Roman provinces in the West from the control of barbarian invaders.

How many books were there in the Codex Constitutionum?

It also included an elementary outline of the law and a collection of Justinian’s own new laws. The four-book code was completed in stages. Work on the first book, the Codex Constitutionum, began shortly after Justinian’s elevation in 527. The second book, the Digesta, was drawn up between 530 and 533.

When was the third book of Justinian published?

The third book, Institutiones, was compiled and published in 533, and the fourth book, Novellae Constitutiones Post Codicem, was completed upon Justinian’s death in 565. Roman law: The law of Justinian. Learn more about the law of Justinian I.

Where did Justinian take his name?

He took the Roman name “Justinianus” from his uncle, Justin. It was through Justin that Justinian advanced. In the early 500s, Justin—a high-ranking military commander in Constantinople (now Istanbul)—took Justinian under his wing. He ensured that Justinian received a Classical education and military training.

Plague Origination & Transmission

See more on worldhistory.org

Types of Plague & Symptoms

The Spread of The Plague Through The Byzantine Empire

Plague Treatment

Effects on The Byzantine Empire