3.13.1 Introduction In the mid-1300s, people across the Middle East, Africa and Europe were suffering from a terrible plague, often referred to as the Black Death. It killed millions of people and, at the time, nobody knew what caused it. With our modern knowledge, we understand that fleas carried on rodents infected humans, but it was a terrifying time for those living through it. Why ‘Black Death’? This name was first used in the 1700s (a long time after the actual event). People at the time simply called it ‘the great dying’ or ‘the plague’. It has been given many names over the years, such as morte bleue (French for ‘blue death’), pestis atra (Latin for ‘terrible plague’) and magna mortalitas (Latin for ‘the great dying’). There are a few theories about the origin of the English name ‘Black Death’. The most popular of these comes from the appearance of the disease in its final stages. At this time, small black or purple blotches appeared on the skin of those suffering from the disease as seen in SOURCE1 , and this may have contributed to the name.
SOURCE2 The extent of the ’Black Death’
Key
Extent of Black Death 1320 CE
Naples
1350 CE
City
1351 CE
Silk Road
1347 CE
Scandinavia
1352 CE
Muslim pilgrimage route
1348 CE
Other trade route
1349 CE
Moscow
Britain
2000
0
1000
London
EUROPE
kilometres
ATLANTIC
Venice
Caffa
ASIA
OCEAN
Genoa
ITALY
Naples
Constantinople
SPAIN
GREECE
Lisbon
Tabriz
Athens
Tunis
Xian
Tripoli
Baghdad
Marrakesh
Alexandria
Hubei
CHINA
Hangzhou
EGYPT
BURMA
Bagan
Arabian Peninsula
Mecca
PACIFIC
INDIA
ARABIAN
OCEAN
Timbuktu
AFRICA
SEA
Aden
INDIAN OCEAN
Source: Map drawn by Spatial Vision.
Historians now believe there were three diseases spreading at once during the plague. 1. Bubonic plague: The most recognisable, with swelling, pus-filled lumps called ‘buboes’ appearing in the armpits, groin, and neck. Recovery was possible, but other diseases made it less likely. 2. Pneumonic plague : Attacked the lungs and was always fatal. 3. Septicaemic plague: Aggressively attacked the bloodstream. The bacteria multiplied so fast that the person would die within hours of infection, causing purple-black blotches on the skin (see SOURCE1 ).
TOPIC3 Medieval Europe 89
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