History Of The Bubonic Plague: The Black Death

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The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague or simply the Plague, was the mother of all plagues. No matter what one calls it, the effects of the Black Death were devastating. No other disease comes close to this pandemic illness. The Black Death reoccurred several times throughout history, but the most notable occurrence was during the mid-fourteenth century in Europe. It resulted in the deaths of one-third of Europe’s population, roughly thirty million people [1]. Not only did it affect the population, but also every aspect of life in Europe during that time. What was the Black Death exactly? It was a terrible illness, which existed in three forms, that was transmitted through fleas, rats, and other animals. Fleas would infest animals…show more content…
These Christians thought that they had to do everything in their power to lessen the anger of God and appease Him. These bands of people, known as flagellants, wandered through towns and countryside doing penance (a punishment undergone in token of penitence of sin) in public. They inflicted various kinds of punishments on themselves, sacrificing themselves for others’ sins in imitation of Jesus Christ. Most of society did not approve of them. “The flagellants showed a tendency to kill Jews they encountered, and even killed clergymen who spoke against them.”…show more content…
The Black Death affected people from all walks of life: Rich or poor; educated or illiterate, all could be touched by the Black Death. Scholars suffered as universities and schools were closed or abandoned [12]. Schools and universities were probably being abandoned because students and professors were dying, and the ones that survived did not want to contract the disease, so they left. The Church experienced the results of the Black Death, too. When the priests died, no one could hear the confessions of those still living. The bishops died as well, and so did their
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