From the acclaimed author of Miracle Cure and The Third Horseman; the epic story of the collision between one of nature's smallest organisms and history's mightiest empire During the golden age of the Roman Empire; Emperor Justinian reigned over a territory that stretched from Italy to North Africa. It was the zenith of his achievements and the last of them. In 542 AD; the bubonic plague struck. In weeks; the glorious classical world of Justinian had been plunged into the medieval and modern Europe was born. At its height; five thousand people died every day in Constantinople. Cities were completely depopulated. It was the first pandemic the world had ever known and it left its indelible mark: when the plague finally ended; more than 25 million people were dead. Weaving together history; microbiology; ecology; jurisprudence; theology; and epidemiology; Justinian's Flea is a unique and sweeping account of the little known event that changed the course of a continent.
#226223 in Books Rosen William 2008-07-29 2008-07-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.40 x .80 x 5.60l; .70 #File Name: 014311381X384 pagesJustinian s Flea The First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Man proposes; the Demon disposesBy ealovittOf all the books I've read about the Bubonic Plague; "Justinian's Flea" proved to be the most deft at weaving the history of Eastern Roman Empire with the ecological life cycle of the plague bacillus; as it mutated from a relatively harmless microbe to a demon that consumed at least twenty-five million human lives; beginning in the year 540 CE.I had assumed the sixth century pandemic originated somewhere in the Great Steppe that separated the Eastern Roman Empire from China; but this author makes the case that it actually originated in the "fertile African valleys between Lake Tana in the north and Lake Rudolf in the South...it would have had its choice of northward routes aboard its flea/rat hosts; either via the Red Sea; or up the Nile..." to the great port city of Alexandria.While waiting for the demon (the author's name for the plague bacillus) to appear; we are treated to a history of the Eastern Roman Empire as it began to split away from the West and from Rome. One of this author's main sources is Procopius of Caesaria; the principal historian of the 6th century. He accompanied Justinian's great general; Belisarius on many of his campaigns and wrote of them in "Wars of Justinian." Procopius also published a salacious 'Secret History' which was rediscovered in the Vatican Library many centuries after it was written. This is the source for the EmpressTheodora's early life 'on stage' including the infamous anecdote about her act with the geese. I never realized ancient history could be morphed into an x-rated movie!William Rosen also quotes extensively from "The Buildings of Justinian" by Procopius to describe the construction of the Hagia Sophia; the massive domed church that reigned as Christendom's largest cathedral for a millennium. It was finished in a little under six years; which is an astonishing feat when you realize that Europe's great gothic cathedrals such as Chartres took generations of labor to complete. The erection of Hagia Sophia's immense dome forms one of the most noteworthy sidebars in "Justinian's Flea."Back to the plague itself; and the author's interesting assertion as to why Justinian's plague showed up when it did: a drop in the average temperature; almost certainly caused by a volcanic eruption. According to Procopius; in the summer of 536 a mysterious cloud appeared over the Mediterranean basin: "The sun gave forth its light without brightness and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse; for the beams it shed were not clear." Modern research points to the Ilopango volcano is San Salvador as the probable culprit. What do cooler than usual temperatures have to do with the plague? "The narrow range [of optimal temperature] bracketed by flea activity and bacterial blocking had kept the disease confined to its East African focus for hundreds if not thousands of years." The plague-carrying flea is only active within a very narrow range of temperature: from about 59 - 68 degrees Fahrenheit. When Egypt cooled down; the plague-bearing fleas were able to migrate north to the great port city of Alexandria; and from there to the rest of the Mediterranean basin.In this book's epilogue; the author speculates on what might have been if Justinian's plague hadn't fatally weakened the Eastern Roman Empire; just as the European proto-states were forming and the Muslims were about to sweep out of Arabia and conquer all before them. It forms a fitting finale to this remarkable mixture of history and epidemiology. Highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. history comes aliveBy Helen D. SetterfieldHistory generally gets taught as a series of names and dates with VERY few reasons why or extra;; interesting details. Justinian's Flea makes that period come alive and adds a tons of interesting facts that are not often mentioned. As a retired teacher who still tutors; this was a great read for me. Don't try to do it all at once. This is not a 'mystery' with a 'whodunit' at the end. It is a very carefully researched book and I have enjoyed reading it in pieces and sort of absorbing it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A fun and fascinating readBy Mark McCandlessThoroughly enjoyable exploration of the times of Justinian; with interesting in more depth discussions than usual with in political and military history books of important subjects such as the biology of the plague and the Justinian Codex.
