COVID-19 was one of the most impactful events that our generation has gone through. It disrupted schools and relationships and caused worldwide issues. COVID-19 made all of us go into a state of fear and panic, especially with toilet paper. If you can remember the peak of COVID and what you were doing then, you can understand how impactful global pandemics are. Now, what if I put you back in time, to 540 CE, during the plague of Justinian? This plague was much worse than COVID was. Death tolls were much higher, symptoms much worse, and the spread of it was much faster. We will hear about Justinian, the ruler during this time over the Byzantine Empire following the rule of his uncle Justin I, and we will feel what it was like during the plague.¹

The year was 540 CE. There was a certain aura in the air. The Byzantine Empire of the sixth century was sprawling and a growing hub for trade and innovation. Under Justinian’s rule, many technological, cultural, and construction advancements existed.² Everything seemed to be going great. The empire was growing and the sky was the limit. On the way to a talk with one of his most trusted advisers, Emperor Justinian was pulled to the side by one of the doctors of the empire. The doctor told him about a small sickness spreading over the empire but he didn’t believe it was anything serious. Life went on for the next few days as usual until some of the market workers started feeling ill. Justinian wondered if it had anything to do with the sickness the doctor told him about. He sent workers to question the sick to see how they were. The workers reported buboes and swollen lymph nodes, key symptoms of the sickness spreading.³ With the news, Justinian worried that this was the start of something much worse. Little did he know, this was just the start of the bubonic plague.

The location of Constantinople made it a hub for trade, with people coming in and bringing anything with them.⁴ In this case, the “black death” could be an unnoticed passenger that could be traveling with anyone coming in. Justinian met with his medical staff after hearing about the infected market workers. He questioned them, asking if this could be the sickness spreading around the empire. “I say this with fear in my heart, this could be the start of a deadly outbreak,” the doctor said. Justinian’s heart fell. Hearing about this, a mission was put before him. He must put a stop to this before it gets worse or else his empire that was built before his eyes would crumble in his hands. While Justinian was talking more with the doctor, a member of his advisors burst in saying the sick workers were all dead and it looked like it was due to the plague. Overcome with the news, Justinian and the doctor fell silent. Their beliefs were true. Looking down at the market, Justinian saw all the people gathering around the dead. The spread had begun.

The plague was mainly spread by rats that carried it.⁵. Once it transported the sickness to a human, it could be spread by any contact. Justinian saw all those gathering around the dead market workers, knowing all those around would get sick as well. He knew the plague was going to spread quickly and go all around the empire. Not wanting the sickness to spread, Justinian devised a plan to stop the spread. He first needed to locate the origin of the spread and how it came into the empire. He consulted with advisors and they realized that it was coming from the ports, from the infected rats coming off ships containing grain.⁶ The spread must be contained at the source for the best chance of stopping the spread. As the plague continued to spread, the empire started to slow. Justinian didn’t see anybody in the markets, farms, or rivers. People were starting to fear for their lives. Now that nobody was working, the economic state of the empire started to be impacted. Justinian was already facing death, and also worrying about the economy was one more problem that got added to his already full plate. Looking at his books, he started to implement cures for the plague. Speaking with his doctors, they came up with masks that they filled with herbs before going out to treat the sick. The doctors devised outfits that they believed would keep them safe from the plague. They came up with the final product, which contained black coats and boots to keep them from the air. The masks containing herbs would hopefully filter the air while working with the sick.⁷ With the doctors suited up, they went out into the city.

As soon as they left, they realized they underestimated how bad the plague truly was. Bodies were on the sides of roads, market stands were looted, and houses were boarded up. ⁸. “Nothing could have prepared me for this” one doctor said to the other. As they traveled the city, they came across a young girl named Irene, who was infected. They went to talk to her to see her symptoms, and they tried to offer her help.

As they approached her, they realized there was not much they could offer in terms of aid. “My family has all died and I’m the only one left,” she told the doctors. Examining the girl, they found swelling all over. The plague had already got her and wouldn’t let go until death released her from its grip. After sitting with her for a little while, conversing with her, she started to talk very faintly. “May I have some water?’’ she asked. As the doctors went to get her water, they came back to a corpse. The plague claimed one more victim. Seeing the body, the doctors turned back quickly to go to Justinian and report what they saw.

Justinian met the doctors outside his palace. They discussed what they saw with him and gave him the details of what it was like. The plague had already spread across the whole empire, not giving any remorse for any infected. The doctors themselves started to fear for themselves, worrying if the masks worked to protect them.

Justinian went to bed that night worrying about the future of his empire. That empire, handed down to him by his uncle and refined with his code, might not be around much longer if he didn’t get the plague under control.⁹ As he woke, he had goals he needed to achieve. Justinian set a meeting with his government members. “We need to put an end to this crippling plague,” he told the members. They first wanted to set up mass burials, as individual burials had become impossible with the sheer amount dead.¹⁰ They began excavating holes to put bodies in. Being in the open at this point in the plague was a risk in itself. Next, they wanted to contain people in their homes to stop the spread any further.¹¹ If people just stay in their homes, the spread would go down significantly. Justinian, on the brink of keeping his empire afloat, had to start taking the most drastic measures possible to stop the spread. As he looked out once more from his palace, he heard something that he had never heard before: silence. “What has this come to” Justinian thought to himself. Not knowing what was happening on the other side of his walls, he had to wait. The next morning, Justinian woke feeling dizzy and disoriented. He brought in one of his maids. Walking in, she was frightened at the look of her ruler. Justinian was covered in buboes and swollen lymph nodes. Horrified of what his state was, he asked everyone to leave, as now the ruler of the empire was not even safe from the “Black Death.”¹²

The empire was crippled by the plague and now the most powerful person in all of Constantinople was infected. Justinian, with a faith-filled background, was left with no power.¹³ All he could do was leave it up to God to help him and his empire get back to its former glory. As time passed, Justinian waited for death’s arrival, slowly knowing it was near. People all around the empire were dead, with almost nothing left. Justinian said one more prayer as a last hope before sleep. “Please God, help me and my empire to get healthy and release us from this sick death.” As Justinian woke, he no longer had the buboes. Bringing in one of the last doctors alive, he told Justinian that he seemed to have survived being infected. God answered his one last wish.

Looking outside, he saw a single person walking to the market, looking healthy. “Could this be the start of the end of the plague?” Justinian said. Still looking down, one more person came, then another. They united in a hug, a message of power for the ruler. Realizing that the plague might finally be over, he called in everyone from his palace who was left alive and consulted with them. As the sickness was vaporizing, people started to come out of their homes. People united with embraces and unity after months of death. Justinian conquered the black death. As the word spread around the empire, people started coming in and bringing goods. Trade was restoring itself to what it was before. Justianain looked down at the market for the last time, seeing family and friends rejoicing. Peace was back to the empire leaving Justinian a legacy that will never be forgotten.