According to Procupius, the plague in the Justinian empire stared in Egypt and moved in several directions in a way that it almost caused the complete annihilation of the human race. He observed that the plague moved in a calculated manner, so that at certain times it lingered longer in one region. There were instances when it appeared to have spared some lands, only to come back at a later time. It was observed that the plague often starts near coastal areas, then eventually moved inland. Procupius has a close encounter with the Plague, “ in the second year it reached Byzantium in the middle of spring, where it happened that I was staying at that time” (Procopius, n.p). He recounted how the afflicted people showed symptoms that even the physicians of that time cannot explain. Further, while there were many people who perished, there were others who survived, and he surmised that the different treatments have a different effect on different patients. Procopius observed that the occurrence of the pestilence resulted in changes in the ways of men, “they shook off the unrighteousness of their daily lives” (Procopius, n.p), however, upon knowing that the plague has gone “they turned sharply about and reverted once more in their baseness” (Procopius, n.p)
Accordingly, people have a different interpretation of what caused the deadly plague. Some believed that it was sent by God. There are others who come up with their own ideas to explain some scourges, “for they love to conjure up causes which are absolutely incomprehensible to man” (Procopius, n.p). However, the magnitude of the plague defied any explanation, for people cannot find a way to express it, except by referring it as a punishment from God.
Works Cited
Procopius. "The Plague, 542." Medieval Sourcebook. Fordham University, n.d. Web. <http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/542procopius-plague.asp>.
