Justinian Plague Essay

Throughout history, Europe has faced many adversities such as plagues that immediately impacted the people. The Justinian plague, which lasted from 541-549 AD, and the Black Death, which affected Europe from 1347-1351, are two such plagues that affected the societies of Europe. These plagues brought death tolls that affected the economy and military strength of countries. As a result of the Justian Plague, almost a third of the Byzantine population was wiped out. While many believe that plagues only brought about destruction, the plagues that affected Europe during the Middle Ages didn't only negatively influence the nations but also caused the region to enter a new age of prosperity.

When the Black Death affected Europe, it provoked fear

This led to a catastrophic phenomenon called de-urbanization. De-urbanization is very detrimental to a growing society because it takes a step back in a developing society. An urban society has many benefits such as collective learning, innovative ideas, and improved infrastructure. When everyone left the cities, it caused de-urbanization which halted advancements in the fields of science and mathematics (“Man and Disease: The Black Death”). Throughout history, it can be seen that de-urbanization is precarious such as when the Roman Empire also went through de-urbanization, which eventually led to its demise and the start of the Medival Ages (“Man and Disease: The Black Death”). On top of that, another negative outcome of the plague was the tremendous death toll. After the passing of the Black Death, the death toll accumulated to a quarter to a third of the population. In total, the estimation of the death toll is thought to be between 75-200 million citizens. The sudden loss of citizens proved to be a challenge for many societies that suddenly lost their workers. This is because without workers, a society cannot function as no workers equals no production. With no production, a society cannot maintain the people so the loss of a third of Europe’s

The Justinian plague was a widespread disease named after Justinian, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. During his reign from 527-565 AD, the plague broke out and it is understood that Justinian himself contracted the plague (Byrne). This plague spread all over the Mediterranean and wiped out between a quarter and a half of the population. The deaths of 30-50 million citizens assisted in the fall of the already faltering Roman Empire. Rome was in constant conflict with the Germanic people and when the plague hit, their military lost a lot of soldiers. The lack of soldiers contributed to the downfall of Rome. In the Byzantine Empire, it is believed that the plague came through trading with Egypt. The trade networks between Egypt contributed to the devastating effects of the plague reaching the Byzantine Empire (“The Plague of Justinian Striked Constanople: 541-542”). Corpses of victims of the Justinian plague lay on the streets of the Byzantine Empire and the effects of their deaths could be felt in the economy and military. The first effect on the economy was felt by the farmers not being able to produce enough food. There were not enough farmers to produce crops that would feed the citizens of the Byzantine Empire (North.)To make it worse, the trade routes that Justinian set place during his reign caused the plague to travel further out and spread to other