Beginning in 541, a devastating plague tore through the Byzantine empire – this was the start of the first of three major plague pandemics in recorded history. In this video, we'll explore the origins and effects of this late antique pandemic, including how the disease weakened the Byzantine Empire and left it vulnerable to invasion.

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Music:
- 'Hiraeth' by Scott Buckley (  / hiraeth-cc-by  )
- 'I Walk With Ghosts' by Scott Buckley (  / i-walk-with-ghosts-cc-by  )
- 'Ephemera' by Scott Buckley (https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/libra...)

Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Origins - 0:55
The Plague enters the Byzantine Empire - 2:20
The Plague in Constantinople - 3:23
Effects upon the Empire - 4:45
Was the Plague as bad as the Black Death? - 6:40
Alternative origins - 8:02