Belisarius, reappointed commander in chief in the…

The Plague of Justinian, which marks the beginning of a two hundred-year long pandemic, will go on to destroy up to a quarter of the human population of the eastern Mediterranean, ultimately killing an estimated one hundred million people in Asia, Europe and northern Africa.

The bubonic plague of 541-543 to some extent hinders the war in the East, which drags on under other generals.

First noted in Egypt, the plague had from there passed through Syria and Asia Minor to Constantinople.

The so-called Plague of Justinian is the first known pandemic on record, and marks the first firmly recorded pattern of bubonic plague.

This outbreak is thought to have originated in Ethiopia or Egypt.

Constantinople, a huge city, imports massive amounts of grain, mostly from Egypt, to feed its citizens.

The grain ships may have been the source of contagion for the city, with massive public granaries nurturing the rat and flea population.

At its peak, the plague is killing five thousand people in Constantinople every day.

The plague kills at least two hundred and thirty thousand in Constantinople (before counting stops) and perhaps two million or more in the rest of the empire.

Emperor Justinian contracts the disease but recovers.

Based on Procopius' description of its symptoms at Constantinople in 542, the disease has appeared in its more virulent pneumonic form, wherein the bacilli settle in the lungs of the victims.

The appearance of the pneumonic form is particularly ominous because it may be transmitted directly from person to person, spreading the infection all the more readily and producing exceptionally high mortality rates.

Comparative studies, based upon statistics derived from incidence of the same disease in late-medieval Europe, suggest that between one-third and one-half the population of Constantinople may well have died, while the lesser cities of the empire and the countryside by no means remained immune.

Justinian sends an imperial army of thirty thousand to Armenia.

The Persians, severely outnumbered, are forced to retreat, but a force of four thousand ambushes the Romans at Dvin, completely routing and defeating the Roman forcess.

Chlothar, king of the Franks, had in 531 received pleas from his sister Clotilde, claiming that her Arian husband Amalaric, the Visigothic king of Hispania, was grossly mistreating her, a Catholic.

Childebert had gone down with an army and defeated the Gothic king, killing him in battle, but Clotilde had died of unknown causes on her return journey to Paris.

Undertaking subsequent expeditions against the Visigoths, Childebert takes possession of Pamplona in 542 with the help of his brother Chlothar.

Childebert besieges Zaragoza, but is forced to retreat.

Childebert I and the Foundation of St-Germain-des-Prés (c. 542 CE)

After returning from his expedition against the Visigoths in Spain, Childebert I, King of Paris, brings back one of the most sacred relics of the early medieval Frankish Church—the tunic of St. Vincent, a highly venerated martyr of the Hispanic Church.

1. The Spanish Campaign and the Acquisition of the Relic

• Childebert I, in alliance with his brother Chlothar I, launches a Frankish incursion into Visigothic Spain.
• After successfully besieging Zaragoza, they plunder the city’s Christian treasures, including the tunic of St. Vincent, a famous Spanish martyr from the early fourth century.
• Childebert brings the relic back to Paris, reinforcing his status as a pious Christian ruler and patron of the Catholic Church.

2. The Founding of the Monastery of St. Vincent (St-Germain-des-Prés)

• In honor of St. Vincent’s tunic, Childebert commissions a grand monastery at the gates of Paris.
• Originally named the Monastery of St. Vincent, it is later renamed St-Germain-des-Prés, after Saint Germain, Bishop of Paris.
• The monastery becomes one of the most significant religious institutions in medieval France, serving as:
  • A royal burial site.
  • A center of learning and monastic culture.
  • A powerful symbol of Frankish Christian rule.

3. The Significance of the Relic and Monastic Foundation

• The acquisition of St. Vincent’s tunic and the monastery’s construction further solidify Paris as a major religious center in the Frankish kingdom.
• This act strengthens Frankish ties with the Catholic Church, reinforcing Childebert’s legitimacy as a Christian ruler.
• The monastery of St-Germain-des-Prés will later play a crucial role in the intellectual and monastic revival of medieval Europe.

Conclusion: A Lasting Religious Legacy

Through his expedition to Spain and the establishment of the Monastery of St. Vincent, Childebert elevates Paris as a religious and political capital. The monastery of St-Germain-des-Prés will remain an enduring symbol of Frankish piety, royal patronage, and monastic scholarship, influencing the spiritual and cultural landscape of medieval France for centuries to come.

Roman Britain

The sixth-century British cleric Gildas is one of the only known near-contemporary writers to document the events of post-Roman Britain, a time of turmoil, Saxon invasions, and internal strife. His work, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain), is a sermon in three parts, filled with moral condemnation rather than objective historical narration. However, it remains one of the most important sources for the fifth and sixth centuries.

1. The Structure of De Excidio and Its Contents

Gildas' text is divided into three distinct sections:

Part I: A History of Britain

• This section traces British history from the Roman conquest to Gildas' own time.
• It mentions Ambrosius Aurelianus, a leader of Romano-British resistance against the Saxons.
• The text also refers to the Battle of Mons Badonicus, a major British victory over the Anglo-Saxons, which had reportedly led to a period of relative peace.

Part II: The Condemnation of Five British Kings

Gildas harshly criticizes five contemporary kings for their moral corruption and failures in leadership:

1. Constantine of Dumnonia
2. Aurelius Caninus
3. Vortiporius of the Demetae (Dyfed)
4. Cuneglasus
5. Maelgwn Gwynedd – the most historically significant, ruling Gwynedd in Wales.

Gildas accuses these rulers of murder, adultery, and impiety, portraying them as divinely punished for their sins.

Part III: The Condemnation of the British Clergy

• Gildas turns his attack on the British clergy, whom he views as corrupt, morally lax, and failing in their spiritual duties.
• He criticizes their greed, arrogance, and failure to provide moral leadership, blaming them for Britain’s downfall.

2. Historical Significance of De Excidio

Although not a history book, Gildas' work is one of the only surviving near-contemporary accounts of the Anglo-Saxon migration and sub-Roman Britain.

• His mention of Ambrosius Aurelianus and the Battle of Mons Badonicus provides rare historical detailsabout British resistance to Saxon expansion.
• He paints a grim picture of post-Roman Britain, highlighting civil war, political fragmentation, and moral decay.
• His moralistic approach and lack of precise dates make it difficult to extract exact chronology, but his perspective is invaluable for historians.

3. Dating De Excidio: Earlier Than Previously Thought?

• Traditionally, De Excidio has been dated to the 540s, based on its pessimistic tone and historical context.
• However, some scholars now argue for an earlier date, possibly the first quarter of the sixth century, or even earlier.
• If written before the mid-sixth century, it predates major plagues and climate disruptions that might have influenced Gildas’ apocalyptic tone.

4. Gildas' Enduring Legacy

• His moralistic and judgmental approach shaped later medieval historical writing, influencing Bede and Geoffrey of Monmouth.
• He remains one of the earliest known British authors, providing a unique insight into post-Roman Britain.
• His warnings against moral decay and corruption have been used throughout history as cautionary lessons for rulers and clergy.

Despite its bias and omissions, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae remains a crucial document for understanding the transitional period between Roman Britain and the early medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

Brendan the Navigator founds a monastery in about 542 on Eilach, presumed to be the island, possibly because of the combination of its isolation and good grazing.

This may make the remains the oldest extant church buildings in Britain, although the earliest written record of its existence dates from the late ninth century.

Columba is believed to have visited the island and it is one of the proposed locations of the Columban retreat isle of Hinba.

Eileach an Naoimh may be the burial site of Columba's mother Eithne.

Totila, with five thousand men, scatters the imperial forces near Faventia (modern Faenza) in spring 542, beginning the resurgence of Gothic resistance to the reconquest of Italy.

Totila sends part of his troops to attack Florence following his success at Faventia.

Justin, the imperial commander of Florence, had neglected to adequately provision the city against a siege, and hurriedly sends for aid to the other imperial commanders in the area: John, Bessas and Cyprian.

They gather their forces and come to the relief of Florence.

At their approach, the Goths raise the siege and retreat north, to the region of Mucellium (modern Mugello).

The imperial army pursues them, with John and his troops leading the chase and the rest of the army following behind.

Suddenly, the Goths rush upon John's men from the top of a hill.

The advance troops initially hold, but a rumor soon spreads that their general had fallen, and they break and flee towards the oncoming main imperial force.

Their panic, however, is caught by the latter as well, and the entire imperial army disperses in disorder.

The Goths take many captives, who are treated well and even induced to join the Gothic army, while the imperial generals flee to isolated strongholds (Bessas to Spoleto, Justin back to Florence, Cyprian to Perugia and John to Rome), and henceforth fail to cooperate against the Goths.