Justinian s plague: Did you mean...?

In 540 CE, Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I had great ambition of regaining Western Roman territories. His goal was to restore the Eastern Roman empire to what it was before the Roman empire dissolved. However, just a year later Emperor...

Genomic analysis has shown that the plague of Justinian and the Black Death were caused by distinct strains of the same pathogen. Dr. Hendrik Poinar discusses the findings.Video copyright: McMaster University

The Ostrogoths were the eastern tribe of the Goths (a Germanic people) who rose in power in the area north of the Black Sea. The designation, Ostrogoth, taken to mean 'Eastern Goth', actually means 'Goths glorified by the rising sun' and...

Totila (birth name, Baduila-Badua r. 541-552 CE) was the last great king of the Ostrogoths in Italy. He was the nephew of the Gothic king Ildibad who was succeeded by Eraric the Rugian (d. 541 CE). The Goths of Italy felt that Eraric was...

A Plague Tale: Innocence is a true masterpiece of interactive storytelling. The video game (console versions on Amazon, PC version on Steam) takes the player back to medieval France. The country is troubled by both the Hundred Years' War...

The story of the ten plagues of Egypt is found in chapters 7-12 of the Book of Exodus. The story depicts the natural disasters sent by the God of Israel to convince Pharaoh to let the Hebrew slaves leave Egypt. The narrative purpose of the...

Lucius Verus was Roman emperor from 161 to 169 CE. Lucius Verus was Marcus Aurelius' adopted brother and co-emperor, a man whose time on the throne is overshadowed by the reign of the last of the Five Good Emperors. In the final years of...

Detail of a contemporary portrait of Justinian I in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna. The emperor's robe is of Tyrian purple.

A 6th century CE mosaic depicting Emperor Justinian and his court in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna.

Mosaic panel located at the southwestern entrance of the basilica Hagia Sophia (Istanbul) depicting the emperor Constantine I holding a model of the city of Constantinople (right), the emperor Justinian I holding a model of Hagia Sophia (left...