1495Reputable sourceWell documented
Syphilis: The Great Pox
On the timeline · around 1495 · Plague and Pestilence
What happened
In 1495 a terrible new disease broke out among the soldiers of Charles VIII of France besieging Naples. As the mercenary armies dispersed, the 'great pox' — syphilis — spread across Europe within a few years. Sexually transmitted and far more virulent then than now, it caused disfiguring sores and could be fatal. Many historians link its sudden appearance to the return of Columbus's crews from the Americas, though the origin is debated.
Why it matters
Syphilis was the first great sexually transmitted epidemic of the modern era, a scourge that would haunt Europe for centuries until antibiotics — and a possible dark echo of the Columbian Exchange running in the opposite direction.
Sources
- Science Museum (UK). The History of Syphilis, Part One: Cause and Symptoms · Reputable source