Plague of Justinian was a devastating outbreak of disease that occurred in Constantinople (now Istanbul , Turkey), the capital of the Byzantine (East Roman) Empire, beginning around A.D. 541. The plague occurred during the reign of Justinian I . After sweeping through Constantinople, the disease spread westward throughout the Roman Empire. Outbreaks of the same disease occurred many times until about 750. Scholars estimate that 25 million to 50 million people were killed by the time the plague ended.
History.
Written accounts of the plague are known from several Byzantine historians, including Procopius and Evagrius. According to Procopius, the plague struck Constantinople in the spring of 542 and lasted four months. The afflicted suffered from fevers, delirium, vomiting, diarrhea, and painful buboes (swollen lymph nodes). He reported that as many as 10,000 people died in a day.
Evagrius noted how the plague could strike at any season of the year and that there was no immunity for those who had already suffered from this disease. He suggested that this disease was spread by contact with those who were afflicted with it. Procopius also noted that pregnant women were especially susceptible to death from this disease. These historians suggested that the widespread death caused by this plague was a threat to humanity.
There are striking similarities between the accounts by Procopius and Evagrius and a description of the Plague of Athens written by the Greek historian Thucydides in the 400’s B.C. Scholars believe these later authors were using Thucydides’ writings as a model for their accounts of the plague. Although they differ on the exact location, the Byzantine authors indicate that the plague originated in northern Africa. These historians, unlike Thucydides, were Christians, and they also provide religious explanations as to the cause of plague.
Today,
scholars view the Plague of Justinian as the first pandemic (extremely widespread occurrence) of bubonic plague in history. Bubonic plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The ancient descriptions of buboes on those afflicted supports this view. Scientists have also detected Yersinia pestis in genetic material extracted from the skeletal remains from the period.
Modern historians are uncertain as to the origins of the Justinian plague. Some think that it may have come from Africa. Others point to the trade routes from central Asia, where plague is endemic (regularly found) as the place of origin. Medical historians note that the disease spread along the trade and military routes of the Roman Empire.
The Plague of Justinian had a profound effect on the Byzantine Empire. Although the number of deaths reported by Procopius is probably inaccurate, medical historians believe that 20 to 40 percent of the population of Constantinople died during this pandemic. The loss of population greatly weakened the economy and military of the Byzantine Empire. The empire became susceptible to outside attacks and entered a period of decline known as the Byzantine Dark Ages.
