Emperor Justinian attempted to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory, but his reign was devastated by the Plague of Justinian — the first recorded bubonic plague pandemic. Wyman examines how disease reshaped the Mediterranean world more decisively than any army.
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Highlights
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Disease is the most powerful force in human history
The Plague of Justinian killed an estimated 25-50 million people and destroyed Justinian's reconstruction project. No military or political force in the 6th century came close to this impact.
The plague didn't create the transition from the Roman to the medieval world — it accelerated structural changes (ruralization, decentralization, religious transformation) already in motion.