40 Things About The Outlandish Math Cult Leader, and Other Unusual Facts From the Ancient World

1. Ending the Ancient Era

The Plague of Justinian hit Europe hard: an estimated 40% to 50% of the population perished. However, the mortality was not spread evenly. The pandemic followed the established trade routes, so ports and cities were hit especially hard. The countryside and the parts of Europe that lay off the established trade routes got off relatively lightly.

That lopsided death toll, heavy in the cities and relatively light in the countryside, marked a transitional point for Europe. It ended what was left of the Ancient Era’s Classical Age, and ushered in the Feudal Era. The Classical Age had been marked by a significant urban culture. The Plague of Justinian – on top of Justinian’s many wars – wrecked that, devastating the cities and an economy built around sustaining urban life. The center of power shifted from the cities to the countryside, and rural strong men emerged as the founders of feudalism. One era and way of life died, and another one was born.

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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading

Ancient History Encyclopedia – Justinian’s Plague (541-542 CE)

Ancient History Encyclopedia – Semiramis

Encyclopedia Britannica – Cassius Dio

Catholic Answers – It Is Better to Be Herod’s Pig Than Son

Classical Wisdom – The Cult of Pythagoras

Diogenes Laertius – Lives of the Eminent Philosophers

Encyclopedia Britannica – Semiramis

Encyclopedia Britannica – Valeria Messalina

Encyclopedia Britannica – Zeuxis, Greek Artist

Gizmodo – Was Pythagoras Really a Murderer?