An epidemic overwhelms Constantinople
About this date: This is the Constantinopolitan outbreak described by Procopius, not the date of every wave of the wider first plague pandemic.
Procopius describes illness, disruption of work, and difficulty burying the dead during an epidemic in the capital. Imperial officials organize responses as ordinary arrangements fail.
Historical context
The crisis affects household care, urban labor, and burial practices. It belongs to the social setting of sixth-century Christianity even though the witness is writing military history.
Key points
- The author places the outbreak within wider regional spread.
- He describes varied symptoms and outcomes.
- Burial capacity becomes a major civic problem.
People
- Procopius of Caesarea
- Justinian I
Sources and further reading
- History of the Wars: the plague
Public-domain translation of the Constantinople outbreak; the page's heading contains an imprecise chapter-range label.