The Case Of The Plague Of Justinian
The Plague of Justinian is the first documented, but the least known case of the bubonic plague. Beginning in 541 AD, the Plague of Justinian occurred during Emperor Justinian’s reign originating from Egypt then rapidly moving to Constantinople through trade routes. The disease quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean and as far as England and Ireland, lasting for about two hundred years. This paper will focus on the first outbreak during 541 AD – 544 AD in Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. It must be noted that the figures concerning mortality is highly speculative, but it is certain that the death toll is higher compared to other recorded plagues of the time. One of the Byzantine Empire’s chief historians, Procopius, stated that
…show more content…
For instance, wealthier families would escort their deceased with a procession and place them in a tomb. Meanwhile, poorer families would have their deceased buried by the Church in shallow graves. When the pandemic arrived, the empire was overwhelmed by the high number of unburied corpses infected by the plague. Initially, people left corpses along the streets or the seashore to rot and filled boats with corpses, sailing out to sea where “they were thrown overboard.” The issue became so great that Justinian allocated government funds to pay healthy citizens – those who weren’t busy tending the sick – to collect the dead, dig large pits, and place the dead in it. Clearly, the practice of leaving corpses out to rot and the use of mass graves indicate significant problems in corpse disposal within the Eastern Roman Empire. As a result, those who perished from the bubonic plague did not receive a religious ceremony and traditional burial rituals were replaced by desperate attempts to get rid of infected …show more content…
This treatment is another contemporary clinical method that focused on the Greek, Roman, and Christian folklore. For instance, religious relics such as amulets and rings “that had been blessed by a saint, particularly a hermit” were used to combat the disease. In addition, other contemporary physicians used “spells, folk remedies… [and] cold water treatments” to treat patients. Despite the different approach to providing medical care, the use of spells and religious charms did nothing more as a placebo and provided temporary relief to the
For instance, wealthier families would escort their deceased with a procession and place them in a tomb. Meanwhile, poorer families would have their deceased buried by the Church in shallow graves. When the pandemic arrived, the empire was overwhelmed by the high number of unburied corpses infected by the plague. Initially, people left corpses along the streets or the seashore to rot and filled boats with corpses, sailing out to sea where “they were thrown overboard.” The issue became so great that Justinian allocated government funds to pay healthy citizens – those who weren’t busy tending the sick – to collect the dead, dig large pits, and place the dead in it. Clearly, the practice of leaving corpses out to rot and the use of mass graves indicate significant problems in corpse disposal within the Eastern Roman Empire. As a result, those who perished from the bubonic plague did not receive a religious ceremony and traditional burial rituals were replaced by desperate attempts to get rid of infected …show more content…
This treatment is another contemporary clinical method that focused on the Greek, Roman, and Christian folklore. For instance, religious relics such as amulets and rings “that had been blessed by a saint, particularly a hermit” were used to combat the disease. In addition, other contemporary physicians used “spells, folk remedies… [and] cold water treatments” to treat patients. Despite the different approach to providing medical care, the use of spells and religious charms did nothing more as a placebo and provided temporary relief to the