Justinian Survived His Namesake Plague

The first major recorded bubonic plague outbreak, the Plague of Justinian, struck from 541 to 549 and took its name from Byzantine emperor Justinian I. The disease reached Constantinople in 542, infected the emperor, and killed about one-fifth of the imperial capital's population, although Justinian recovered. The plague spread across the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Near East before recurring until the mid-eighth century. Some historians estimate that two centuries of outbreaks killed between 15 million and 100 million people, equivalent to 25 to 60 percent of Europe's population, although scholars continue to dispute the scale.

Previous Fact Next Fact