The Justinian Plague // Procopius (541-542) on Youtube
This day in history: Justinian I (or Justinian the Great) died on this day in 565. Whatever his triumphs and failures may be, I really only know him for the plague that was named after him. The Justinian Plague, though mostly forgotten now, decimated about 25% of the world’s population. It killed up to 100 million people. It was considered the first pandemic in recorded history and it swept across three continents. Greek historian Procopius wrote that many believed the disease was caused by a demon, a malevolent spirit that was said to either appear to people in a dream or materialize just as they were waking up. As a result, priests began performing exorcisms on the infected. This mass tragedy led to the destruction of the economy, farming and skills, consequences that lasted for hundreds of years and plunged the world deeper into the dark ages.
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