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The Black Death

The Black Death

1347-1351 AD

📂 PLAGUE

📖 About This Event

The Black Death arrived in Europe in October 1347 when fourteen ships from the Black Sea anchored in the Sicilian port of Messina. The ships were full of rats carrying fleas infected with the bubonic plague, and nearly everyone on board was dead. Within four years, the plague had killed an estimated 75-200 million people worldwide—perhaps a third of the world's population at the time.

The Catholic Church was devastated. Priests who ministered to the sick died in enormous numbers, and in some places, no priests survived to administer the last rites. The plague undermined faith in the Church—why did God allow such suffering?—and contributed to the rise of movements like the Flagellants, who whipped themselves to atone for sin. The Church's authority was shaken, and the crisis contributed to the Avignon Papacy and the Western Schism.

The plague also transformed European society. With so many dead, labor became scarce and wages rose, undermining the feudal system. The trauma of the plague left deep marks on European culture, art, and religion for centuries. Key Sources: Boccaccio, The Decameron; Giovanni Boccaccio; papal records of the 14th century; Samuel Cohn, The Black Death

📜 Key Facts

Date 1347-1351 AD
Category Plague
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