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What Was The Plague of Justinian? How One Outbreak Killed 10% Of The Population.

May 10, 2016 by Will Sowards 14 Comments

The Justinian Plague killed millions many of them military commanders or soldiers.
A commander from the Justinian era leads his troops against the Goths.

Imagine a plague that infected millions in just a year, killing as many as 5,000 people per day. For the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, this nightmare was a reality. Beginning in about 541 CE, the Plague of Justinian swept through Europe, killing up to a quarter of the Eastern Mediterranean population and possibly as much as 10 percent of the world’s population.

What Was The Plague of Justinian?

Despite the catchy name, the Plague of Justinian was identified as the bubonic plague, otherwise known for its 14th Century cousin, “The Black Death.” The disease earned its name from Justinian, the ruler of the Byzantine Empire at the time. It also has a double meaning, as Justinian’s handling of the crisis was almost its own form of infection.

As farmers and other workers were dying by the thousands, Justinian was unable to complete many of the projects he had started and began to raise taxes and change the tax code.

Procopius, a scholar of the time, explained:

“When pestilence swept through the whole known world and notably the Roman Empire, wiping out most of the farming community and of necessity leaving a trail of desolation in its wake, Justinian showed no mercy towards the ruined freeholders. Even then, he did not refrain from demanding the annual tax, not only the amount at which he assessed each individual, but also the amount for which his deceased neighbors were liable.”

What Were the Symptoms of the Plague?

We don’t know the exact symptoms of the Plague of Justinian. The current symptoms for bubonic plague include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Swollen or tender lymph nodes
  • Abdominal pain
  • Gangrene

Procopius described victims suffering from these and also other symptoms including:

  • Delusions
  • Nightmares
  • Comas

He even said some would die almost immediately after the onset of symptoms. However, we don’t know how accurate his reporting was. Procopius said the plague was killing 10,000 people every day, but modern estimates put the daily death toll to closer to 5,000.

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. In 541, the Egyptian port of Pelusium was the first city to document cases, and, by 542, cases were seen as far north as England.

Due to the nature of ancient records, we don’t know the full extent of the disease’s spread. We know the Mediterranean region was the hardest hit, but anecdotal evidence indicates some cases occurred in England, Germany and other northern regions.

What Effects Did the Plague Have?

Justinian wasn’t just a leader; he was also a conqueror. By 542, he had reconquered most of the Roman Empire’s previous domain and was hoping to solidify his rule. The plague made this all but impossible as farmers, soldiers and other key members of society fell ill and died from the disease.

By 568, Justinian’s empire began to crumble as the Lombards invaded Northern Italy, and, within a few generations, enemies were at the gates. Byzantium remained a power through 1453, but it would never be as large as it had been before the plague.

Could The Plague of Justinian Resurface?

Just as with many other ancient diseases, this question has been under investigation for years. A study conducted by Northern Arizona University found the Plague of Justinian came from a now extinct form of Y. pestis or bubonic plague. So in short, it is still around. But, we are unlikely to see anything like Justinian’s Plague or the Black Death in modern times.

“We’ve greatly improved hygiene since the times of the great pandemics,” said one researcher. “The other thing is we not have antibiotics, and plague is susceptible to every antibiotic.”

To learn more about bubonic plague, see the CDC portal. To learn more about other eradicated, or nearly eradicated diseases, see our polio and measles, mumps and rubella pages.

If you are planning a trip, especially one where you may come in contact with rodents, book an appointment at your local Passport Health by calling or booking online today.

What are your thoughts on this terrible plague? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter.

Filed Under: General Posts

Comments

  1. Trinity says

    January 6, 2019 at 5:48 am

    So informative

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    February 25, 2019 at 9:21 pm

    I am doing a report on the Justinian plague, so this really helped a lot. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Galaxy Duke YouTube says

    March 6, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    I’m also doing a presentation on this. This makes me sound smarter than I already am. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Denis says

    April 24, 2019 at 4:40 am

    It works very well for me

    Reply
  5. Lillian says

    May 20, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    I am doing a report on the plague of Justinian and this has helped so much ,thank you.

    Reply
    • kayce says

      May 20, 2019 at 2:57 pm

      yes

      Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    This was so informative! Thnx!

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    November 12, 2019 at 10:40 pm

    Thanks

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    January 29, 2020 at 5:30 pm

    This hard

    Reply
  9. Steph says

    March 21, 2020 at 1:53 am

    Cool to learn about

    Reply
  10. Joe Flood says

    April 27, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    I can imagine it

    Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    May 19, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    Wow, very informative. Kinda like covid. Stay safe everyone!

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    May 22, 2020 at 9:16 am

    to the person who took there time to type all this up thank you because i have to do a report and this helps alot

    Reply
  13. Herlyn says

    July 14, 2020 at 7:09 pm

    Very informative and Intresting, Thank you Stay Safe!!!!!

    Reply

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