the plague

In the 14th century, the bubonic plague swept through Europe in one of the deadliest epidemics in human history, known as the Black Death. The story began in 1347 when trading ships from the Black Sea arrived in the port of Messina in Sicily. The ships carried a variety of goods, but they also carried unseen passengers: fleas infected with the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the main cause of the plague.

When the ships docked, the sailors on board began to die in horrific ways. They developed strange and frightening symptoms: black, egg-sized swellings under their armpits, thighs and neck, high fever, vomiting blood and excruciating pain. Doctors had no idea how to deal with this new and deadly disease.

The plague spread with amazing speed through European cities and villages. People were living in very poor sanitary conditions, which helped the disease spread more quickly. There were no effective sanitation systems, and rats lived close to humans and easily transmitted infected fleas.

Within a few months, the plague spread throughout Italy and from there to France, Spain, England, Germany, and Russia. There was no safe place; Even remote rural areas were not spared from this deadly epidemic. People were dying in such huge numbers that burying the dead became an almost impossible task. Some resorted to burning bodies to get rid of them and prevent the spread of infection.

Daily life was radically changed by the plague. Markets, schools and churches closed, and commercial and agricultural activities almost stopped. Fear and terror were controlling everyone; No one knew how the disease was transmitted or how it could be prevented or treated.

In an attempt to understand and process the disaster, people turned to religious and superstitious explanations. Some believed that the plague was divine punishment for human sins and that repentance and prayer might be the only solution to salvation. Groups of "executioners" spread, who roamed the streets and flogged themselves as a form of atonement for sins in the hope of averting the affliction.

But these practices were of course ineffective; The plague continued to claim lives unabated. It is estimated that the Black Death killed between 25% and 60% of the European population within a short period of no more than five years (1347-1352). Some cities lost half or more of their population.

As time passed and waves of plague repeated over the next two centuries, societies began to adapt to the new situation and develop strategies to deal with future epidemics. Public hygiene was improved, better sanitation systems were built, and the sick were isolated more effectively.

Despite the enormous devastation caused by the Black Death, it also led to major social and economic changes in Europe. Labor shortages resulting from the death of a large population led to higher wages for workers and improved working conditions for some of the lower social groups. These changes also contributed to stimulating innovation and subsequent scientific and medical progress.

Today we know a lot about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of plague thanks to the great scientific and medical advances that have been made since then. But the story of the Black Death remains a powerful reminder of how vulnerable human civilizations are to epidemics and infectious diseases.