Plague of Justinian

Quick Facts: Who was Plague of Justinian?

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Plague of Justinian

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A devastating epidemic that swept across the Mediterranean, profoundly impacting the Byzantine Empire.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The plague of Justinian or Justinianic plague (AD 541–549) was an epidemic of plague that afflicted the entire Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Near East, especially the Sasanian Empire and the Byzantine Empire. The plague is named for the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565) who, according to his court historian Procopius, contracted the disease and recovered in 542, at the height of the epidemic which killed about a fifth of the population in the imperial capital Constantinople. The contagion arrived in Roman Egypt in 541, spread around the Mediterranean Sea until 544, and persisted in Northern Europe and the Arabian Peninsula until 549. By 543, the plague had spread to every corner of Justinian's empire.

Career & Major Achievements

The plague's severity and impact remain debated. Some scholars assert that as the first episode of the first plague pandemic, it had profound economic, social, and political effects across Europe and the Near East and cultural and religious impact on Eastern Roman society. Other scholars such as Mordechai and Eisenberg have argued that the Plague of Justinian was overstated by primary sources and, while it would have been incredibly impactful on a personal level, did not have a severe or even a long lasting impact on the population of the Mediterranean in the Age of Justinian. These claims have been criticised for their methodology and handling of sources. In 2013, researchers confirmed earlier speculation that the cause of the plague of Justinian was Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium responsible for the Black Death (1346–1353).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Ancient and modern Yersinia pestis strains are closely related to the ancestor of the Justinian plague strain that has been found in the Tian Shan, a system of mountain ranges on the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and China, suggesting that the Justinian plague originated in or near that region. However, there would appear to be no mention of bubonic plague in China until the year 610. The Byzantine historian Procopius first reported the epidemic in 541 from the port of Pelusium, near Suez in Egypt. Two other first-hand reports of the plague's ravages were by the Syriac church historian John of Ephesus and by Evagrius Scholasticus, who was a child in Antioch at the time and later became a church historian. Evagrius was afflicted with the buboes associated with the disease, but survived.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2013: 2013 Milestone — In 2013, researchers confirmed earlier speculation that the cause of the plague of Justinian was Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium responsible for the Black Death (1346–1353).

Notable Quotes by Plague of Justinian

“When pestilence swept through the whole known world and notably the Roman Empire, wiping out most of the farming community...”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Plague of Justinian

True or False: “The plague's impact on Constantinople was solely due to the introduction of infected rats via grain ships from Egypt.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While rat-borne transmission is suspected, the text notes that the overall death toll estimates are based on circumstantial evidence and Procopius’ accounts.

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