Plague of Justinian

The plague holds a unique place in history and has a tremendous influence on the development of modern civilizations. Scholars even speculated that the Roman Empire may have fallen since soldiers returning from the battle of the Persian Gulf were carriers of the plague. For quite some time, the plague has been a symbol of disaster for people living in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Not only that but since the cause of it is unknown, outbreaks contributed to massive panics where every it appeared. Countless artworks, literature, and monuments attest to the horrors and devastation of the previous plague epidemics. Currently, it is known that the plague is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis as seen to the right, that infects small rodents…

The bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease, refers to telltale buboes which appear around the neck, groin or armpit. The septicemic plague comes via fleas or from contact with body infected by plague and spreads through the blood stream Pneumonic plague is the most infectious type; it is when the disease passes from person to another through airborne droplets coughed from the lungs. It kills about 50 percent of those it infects. The Black plague has three major plague pandemics.…

would leave everything to the empire, and some had even accused Justinian of committing murder in order to get the funds necessary to fuel his dream (Cassel, 2007). Using these rather slippery ways of getting the money, Justinian began to gain enemies, and it wouldn’t be soon after that a rebellion would threaten his reign over the empire (Brooks, 2009). With such behavior, it didn’t take long for the empire to retaliate, causing the Nika Revolt on January 13th, 532 AD. The whole city of…

As grotesque, swollen lymph nodes surfaced and fevers soared to deadly levels, it would seem that the apocalypse crept closer with each lost life. This was the conclusion that came to those living in the Byzantine Empire during 541 A.D. Until this point, Byzantine citizens enjoyed only the finest of luxuries- rich culture, magnificent buildings, such as the Hagia Sophia, and overall prosperity. Nonetheless, even the splendid Byzantine Empire, and its surrounding Mediterranean areas, could not…

The Secret History was written by Procopius during his lifetime, but after his other works. This was a work written for himself and close friends, which he never intended to publish. The Secret History shows a different side to the events that happened in the Byzantine Empire. This book shows a different side to many different, well know rulers in Byzantine. Procopius portrays Antonina to be a very scandalous person with very little morals who would cheat on her husband every chance she got.…

The disease would usually start with one person and then spread quickly and many would be killed. The deadliest and most common diseases in ancient Greece were bubonic plague, smallpox, tuberculosis, measles, typhoid, influenza, typhus, just to name a few. Bubonic Plague, more commonly known as the black plague, was the deadliest outbreak in ancient history. The black plague’s first outbreak in 541 AD killed twenty-five million people. Smallpox killed thirty percent of the citizens who were…

the ruler of Byzantine. I found that really interesting. Another interesting fact was there was an emperor that did not like that his son was gaining fame. Because of this, he spread a rumor that his son was having a relationship with his wife. He ended up having both of them killed. It amazed me at how a family can so easily kill one another especially when it comes to power. The book discussed strategies that some of the emperors had against people who were conspiring to take power. It also…

‘The Secret History’ was released after Justinian’s death and widely disseminated throughout the Empire. However, the success of Theodora and Justinian may have deterred iconoclastic action; little evidence indicates that Theodora’s legacy was seriously diminished. More importantly, powerful Empresses would continue to arise throughout the successive four centuries of Byzantine history. Procopius’ polemic towards Theodora and Antonina thus indicates two very important things: notice of powerful…

It is not uncommon for cathedrals in the Byzantine Empire to be used as status of prosperity and power, rather than being solely places of worship. San Vitale is known for the incredible mosaics that create a focus on Justinian, Theodora, and other political figures which make it more of a glorification of the emperor than a religious building. How much decadence and lavishness is acceptable before the focus of this church becomes more about paying respects to the people in power in the time it…

manipulation of art as political propaganda as shown in Stele of Naram-Sin. Trajan’s column shows a continuous frieze depicting a pictorial narrative of his Dacian campaigns. The story of Trajan’s victory is revealed as the relief bands spiral upwards. Thus, the potency of the political actor’s use of art to depict military campaigns lays in its ability to glorify the state. Furthermore, the state’s patronage in the arts has proven more influential than that of the individual. Rulers,…