PLAGUE AND THE END OF ANTIQUITY: THE PANDEMIC OF 541-750; ED. BY LESTER K. LITTLE

Plague was a key factor in the waning of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. Eight centuries before the Black Death, a pandemic of plague engulfed the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and eventually extended as far east as Persia and as far north as the British Isles. Its persisted sporadically from 541 to 750, the same period that witnessed the distinctive shaping of the Byzantine Empire, a new prominence of the Roman papacy and of monasticism, the beginnings of Islam and the meteoric expansion of the Arabic Empire, the ascent of the Carolingian dynasty in Frankish Gaul and, not coincidentally, the beginnings of a positive work ethic in the Latin West. In this volume, the first on the subject, twelve scholars from a variety of disciplines-history, archaeology, epidemiology, and molecular biology- have produced a comprehensive account of the pandemic’s origins, spread, and mortality, as well as its economic, social, political, and religious effects. The historians examine written sources in a range of languages, including Arabic, Syriac, Greek, Latin, and Old Irish. Archaeologists analyze burial pits, abandoned villages, and aborted building projects. The epidemiologists use the written sources to track the disease’s means and speed of transmission, the mix of vulnerability and resistance it encountered, and the patterns of reappearence over time. Finally, molecular biologists, newcomers to this kind of investigation, have become pioneers of paleopathology, seeking ways to identity pathogens in human remains from the remote past. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Contributors......Page 9 Preface......Page 13 Plague and the End of Antiquity......Page 21 I INTRODUCTION......Page 23 1 Life and Afterlife of the First Plague Pandemic......Page 25 The three pandemics......Page 26 The evidence......Page 29 Modern scholarship......Page 37 The first two pandemics compared......Page 40 Effects......Page 43 Expiation and memory......Page 50 2 Historians and Epidemics: Simple Questions, Complex Answers......Page 55 In what ways have societies perceived epidemics, and how have societies responded to epidemics?......Page 56 What can be learned about the mortality and morbidity inflicted by epidemics? how many, and who, died, where and when?......Page 58 What effects have been traced to epidemics?......Page 59 In terms of modern biomedical understanding, what "was" the epidemic? and does that question matter for historical discussion......Page 64 Human Settlements and Movements......Page 68 Human Nutrition......Page 71 Have epidemics affected contemporary or later imaginations? have epidemics their own historiographies?......Page 74 II THE NEAR EAST......Page 79 3 ‘For Whom Does the Writer Write?’: The First Bubonic Plague Pandemic According to Syriac Sources......Page 81 4 Justinianic Plague in Syria and the Archaeological Evidence......Page 109 III THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE......Page 119 5 Crime and Punishment: The Plague in the Byzantine Empire, 541–749......Page 121 6 Bubonic Plague in Byzantium: The Evidence of Non-Literary Sources......Page 141 IV THE LATIN WEST......Page 155 7 Consilia humana, ops divina, superstitio: Seeking Succor and Solace in Times of Plague, with Particular Reference to Gaul in the Early Middle Ages......Page 157 Gods – ops divina......Page 158 Kings – between ops divinaand consilia humana......Page 164 Bishops – consilia humana......Page 167 Talismans – superstitio......Page 169 Appendix......Page 171 8 Plague in Spanish Late Antiquity......Page 172 A Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the First Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 214–17)......Page 182 Likewise a Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the Second Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 217–19)......Page 186 A Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the Third Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 219–21)......Page 188 Likewise a Sermon on the Catastrophe (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 222–23).......Page 191 9 Plague in Seventh-Century England......Page 193 Course and mortality......Page 195 Bede as witness......Page 201 The identity of the disease......Page 204 Transmission and spread......Page 210 Plague in the countryside......Page 213 Aftermath and consequences......Page 227 Conclusion: plague and population......Page 234 10 The Plague and Its Consequences in Ireland......Page 237 The plague and its redress......Page 246 V THE CHALLENGE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY......Page 251 11 Ecology, Evolution, and Epidemiology of Plague......Page 253 Plague as described by ancient authors......Page 255 Evolution and the early history of plague......Page 267 Epidemiology of plague......Page 276 12 Toward a Molecular History of the Justinianic Pandemic......Page 312 Bibliography......Page 335 Index......Page 377 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Contributors 9 Preface 13 Plague and the End of Antiquity 21 I INTRODUCTION 23 1 Life and Afterlife of the First Plague Pandemic 25 The three pandemics 26 The evidence 29 Modern scholarship 37 The first two pandemics compared 40 Effects 43 Expiation and memory 50 2 Historians and Epidemics: Simple Questions, Complex Answers 55 In what ways have societies perceived epidemics, and how have societies responded to epidemics? 56 What can be learned about the mortality and morbidity inflicted by epidemics? how many, and who, died, where and when? 58 What effects have been traced to epidemics? 59 In terms of modern biomedical understanding, what "was" the epidemic? and does that question matter for historical discussion 64 How did the larger environments, physical and social, affect the origin and spread of epidemics? 68 Human Settlements and Movements 68 Human Nutrition 71 Have epidemics affected contemporary or later imaginations? have epidemics their own historiographies? 74 II THE NEAR EAST 79 3 ‘For Whom Does the Writer Write?’: The First Bubonic Plague Pandemic According to Syriac Sources 81 4 Justinianic Plague in Syria and the Archaeological Evidence 109 III THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE 119 5 Crime and Punishment: The Plague in the Byzantine Empire, 541–749 121 6 Bubonic Plague in Byzantium: The Evidence of Non-Literary Sources 141 IV THE LATIN WEST 155 7 Consilia humana, ops divina, superstitio: Seeking Succor and Solace in Times of Plague, with Particular Reference to Gaul in the Early Middle Ages 157 Gods – ops divina 158 Kings – between ops divinaand consilia humana 164 Bishops – consilia humana 167 Talismans – superstitio 169 Appendix 171 8 Plague in Spanish Late Antiquity 172 Appendix: four anonymous sermons on the plague from the toledo homiliary 182 A Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the First Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 214–17) 182 Likewise a Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the Second Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 217–19) 186 A Sermon on the Catastrophe, to be Read on the Third Day (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 219–21) 188 Likewise a Sermon on the Catastrophe (Grégoire, Les homéliaires, 222–23). 191 9 Plague in Seventh-Century England 193 Course and mortality 195 Bede as witness 201 The identity of the disease 204 Transmission and spread 210 Plague in the countryside 213 Aftermath and consequences 227 Conclusion: plague and population 234 10 The Plague and Its Consequences in Ireland 237 The plague and its redress 246 V THE CHALLENGE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 251 11 Ecology, Evolution, and Epidemiology of Plague 253 Plague as described by ancient authors 255 Evolution and the early history of plague 267 Epidemiology of plague 276 12 Toward a Molecular History of the Justinianic Pandemic 312 Bibliography 335 Index 377 In This Volume, 12 Scholars From Various Disciplines - Have Produced A Comprehensive Account Of The Pandemic's Origins, Spread, And Mortality, As Well As Its Economic, Social, Political, And Religious Effects. Life And Afterlife Of The First Plague Pandemic / Lester K. Little -- Historians And Epidemics: Simple Questions, Complex Answers / Jo N. Hays -- 'for Whom Does The Writer Write?': The First Bubonic Plague Pandemic According To Syriac Sources / Michael G. Morony -- Justinianic Plague In Syria And The Archaeological Evidence / Hugh N. Kennedy -- Crime And Punishment: The Plague In The Byzantine Empire, 541-749 / Dionysios Stathakopoulos -- Bubonic Plague In Byzantium: The Evidence Of Non-literary Sources / Peter Sarris. Consilia Humana, Ops Divina, Superstitio: Seeking Succor And Solace In Times Of Plague, With Particular Reference To Gaul In The Early Middle Ages / Alain J. Stoclet -- Plague In Spanish Late Antiquity / Michael Kulikowski -- Plague In Seventh-century England / John Maddicott -- The Plague And Its Consequences In Ireland / Ann Dooley -- Ecology, Evolution, And Epidemiology Of Plague / Robert Sallares -- Towards A Molecular History Of The Justinianic Pandemic / Michael Mccormick. Edited By Lester K. Little. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 313-354) And Index. Life and afterlife of the first plague pandemic / Lester K. Little Historians and epidemics: simple questions, complex answers / Jo N. Hays For whom does the writer write?: the first bubonic plague pandemic according to Syriac sources / Michael Morony Justinianic plague in Syria and the archaeological evidence / Hugh N. Kennedy Crime and punishment: the plague in the Byzantine Empire 541-749 / Dionysios Stathakopoulos Bubonic plague in Byzantium: the evidence of the non-literary sources / Peter Sarris Consilia humana, ops divina, superstitio (Livy 7,2): seeking succor and solace in times of plague, with particular reference to Gaul in the early Middle Ages / Alain J. Stoclet Plague in Spanish late antiquity / Michael Kulikowski Plague in seventh-century England / John Maddicott The plague and its consequences in Ireland / Ann Dooley Ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of plague / Robert Sallares Towards a molecular history of the Justinianic pandemic / Michael McCormick. Plague was a key factor in the waning of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. In this volume, the first on the subject, twelve scholars from a variety of disciplines - history, archaeology, epidemiology, and molecular biology - have produced a comprehensive account of the pandemic's origins, spread, and mortality, as well as its economic, social, political, and religious effects. The historians examine written sources in a range of languages, including Arabic, Syriac, Greek, Latin, and Old Irish. Archaeologists analyse burial pits, abandoned villages, and aborted building projects. The epidemiologists use the written sources to track the disease's means and speed of transmission, the mix of vulnerability and resistance it encountered, and the patterns of reappearance over time. Finally, molecular biologists, newcomers to this kind of investigation, have become pioneers of paleopathology, seeking ways to identify pathogens in human remains from the remote past.