3. The Pandemic That Ended the Ancient Era
The medieval era’s Black Death was history’s deadliest pandemic. However, the Plague of Justinian, 541 – 542 AD, gives it a run for its money in lethality and consequences. It was named after the East Roman Emperor Justinian I, during whose reign it occurred – and who survived getting infected with it. It swept across three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa, making it history’s first recorded pandemic.
The Plague of Justinian, like the Black Death, was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. Also like the Black Death, the Plague of Justinian struck with a devastating initial outbreak, followed by several recurrences in succeeding years. By the time the last recurrence ended and the Plague of Justinian had died out, 25 million to 100 million people had perished.