The Black Death, also known as the Great Plague or the Great Mortality, was a devastating pandemic that struck Europe in the mid-14th century. Between 1347 and 1351, the Black Death caused the deaths of an estimated 25-30 million people, roughly one-third of Europe's population at that time. This catastrophe reshaped European society and had profound social, economic, and cultural consequences.
The Black Death is believed to have originated in Asia, possibly China or India, and spread along trade routes to the Middle East and Europe. The disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas that lived on black rats. The plague arrived in Europe in October 1347 when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. The ships carried sailors who were either dead or severely ill, and the disease quickly spread from there.
Victims of the Black Death experienced severe symptoms, including fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and painful swellings called buboes, which typically appeared in the groin or armpits. The disease could also manifest as pneumonic plague, affecting the lungs, or septicemic plague, infecting the blood. The rapid progression and high mortality rate of the disease caused widespread panic and social disruption.
The Black Death led to significant labor shortages, which in turn caused wages to rise and challenged the traditional feudal structures. Many villages and towns were abandoned, and it took nearly 200 years for Europe's population to recover to pre-plague levels. The pandemic also led to a questioning of authority and religious beliefs, as people sought explanations for the catastrophe and turned to various forms of scapegoating and superstition.
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