Re: Plague of Justinian 541CE

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:03:50 +1100, bernardZ <BernardZ@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Do you agree or disagree?

1) A maximum figure of 25 million dead for the Plague of Justinian is
considered a fairly reasonable estimate. A total European population
loss of 50 to 60 percent between 541 and 700 is credible.

2) Justinian's plague weakened the Byzantine Empire at the critical
point when it could have credibly rebuilt the Western Roman Empire!

3) The Eastern Roman Empire and Persia were so weakened that it allowed
the rise of the Arabs who were coming out of a region not badly effected
by the plague. Similarly the rise of the Franks.

For some details please read here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_of_Justinian


The Plague of Justinian appears to be associated with two world-wide
climate down-turn events. It is unlikely that any part of the world
was completely unaffected.

Constantinople probably suffered more than most because it had so many
people crammed together in the one place with all the hygiene problems
that this implies.

The Roman Empire was already very shaky (rotten?) and it did not need
much of a push to make it fall over. It may have been that several
years of bad crops (famine?), disease, and the functional collapse of
the capital city were enough to allow surrounding survivors to give
the Roman Empire the coup de grace.

For more information about the plague aspects I recommend reading "New
Light on the Black Death" by Mike Bail lie. British Amazon has it at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Light-Black-Death-Connection/dp/0752435981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201555968&sr=1-1
or http://tinyurl.com/28yadh

The book is mainly about the 14th century plague but does contain some
interesting information about the Plague of Justin as well. Baillie
thinks there is good evidence that the plagues were associated with
comets.



Eric Stevens
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Plague of Justinian 541CE
    ... A maximum figure of 25 million dead for the Plague of Justinian is ... The Eastern Roman Empire and Persia were so weakened that it allowed ... Similarly the rise of the Franks. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Plague of Justinian 541CE
    ... A maximum figure of 25 million dead for the Plague of Justinian is ... The Eastern Roman Empire and Persia were so weakened that it allowed ... I doubt that they were caused by comets (that is just my view for all it ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Plague of Justinian 541CE
    ... A maximum figure of 25 million dead for the Plague of Justinian is ... A total European population ... The Eastern Roman Empire and Persia were so weakened that it allowed ... Similarly the rise of the Franks. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Plague of Justinian 541CE
    ... Similarly the rise of the Franks. ... interesting information about the Plague of Justin as well. ... tree rings, marked atmospheric haze reported in both Europe and China, ... important then humans. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Plague of Justinian 541CE
    ... Similarly the rise of the Franks. ... interesting information about the Plague of Justin as well. ... tree rings, marked atmospheric haze reported in both Europe and China, ... important then humans. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)