The Plague of Justinian was a pandemic that began in the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century and reached Constantinople in 541, during the reign of the emperor Justinian I, whose name it carries. Contemporary writers such as Procopius described the symptoms and the heavy mortality. Modern genetic studies of remains show that it was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which also caused the later Black Death. It spread through the Mediterranean and into western and northern Europe and recurred in waves for about two centuries. Historians debate the size of the death toll, and its effect on the empire's economy and military is also disputed.
Before and after
- 536 CEThe volcanic winter of 536
- 537 CEConstruction of Hagia Sophia
- from 538 CE to 710 CEAsuka period
- 540 CEBirth of Gregory I
- from 541 CE to 750 CEPlague of Justinian
- from November 542 CE to March 543 CESiege of Naples
- 6th centuryConstruction of Basilica of San Vitale
- from 552 CE to 657 CEGöktürks
- July 552 CEBattle of Taginae
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- 1477Founding of University of Tübingen
- 1 June 1479Founding of University of Copenhagen
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 6th century.