The Spectrum Podcast: How Diseases Affect Human History

Diseases and epidemics have always influenced the course of history. Example: Emperor Justinian I had just freed his Eastern Roman Empire from the Goths and Vandals, when the next enemy was already at the door. But this could not be fought with swords and spears. It was the plague, and it did The empire was hit hard. At that time there were apparently enormous human losses, amounting to 10,000 deaths per day. This also resulted in large territorial losses for Emperor Justinian.