Reading Response #3

Reading Response #3

What is the significance of the Black Plague?

I remember learning about the black plague and other deadly diseases such as the Bubonic plague. Naturally, as a boy, my friends and I were intrigued and would make jokes about “All of California dying of the Black Plague.” Now, I look back on those days, and am glad that did not happen. Back in the day, around 430 B.C.E there was very little or no immunity to these type of diseases. Diseases such as these would wipe out entire communities. Diseases would be spread when different communities came in contact with one another.

            The silk roads were the absolute worst thing that could happen during a time of disease. Obviously the Silk Road was a necessity during the time, but it was also the fastest way that diseases could be spread. The silk roads connected all of Eurasia not only for trades, but also kept everyone in constant contact with spreading germs and diseases. The spread of disease was one of the biggest contributors to the fall of the Roman Empire. Because of disease Byzantium was not able to reinstate Italy back into its renewed Roman Empire. If they were able to do so, the Roman Empire would have encompassed the Mediterranean basin.

            The Mongol Empire got hit the hardest by the Black Death. The Black Death was facilitated in the Mongol Empire because of much more face to face interactions with people, just like the Silk Road. So many people suffered from the Black Death that around the era of 1350 close to thirty percent of the population of Europe was suffering effect from it.