541–549 CEReputable sourceWell documented
The Plague of Justinian
On the timeline · around 541–549 CE · The Ancient Plagues
What happened
The first recorded outbreak of bubonic plague erupted in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian, who caught the disease himself but survived. Spreading along trade routes from Egypt, it may have killed tens of millions of people around the Mediterranean over the following two centuries.
Why it matters
The Plague of Justinian was the first of history's three great bubonic plague pandemics. It shattered Justinian's dream of restoring the Roman Empire and reshaped the late-antique world.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Justinian's Plague (541–542 CE) · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Byzantine Empire → — The plague that struck the empire under Justinian