Justinian's flea

William Rosen chronicles the rise of Emperor Justinian and his efforts to consolidate power in Constantinople, including military campaigns under Belisarius and the Justinianic Code.

The narrative shifts to the first pandemic plague caused by Yersinia pestis, transmitted via fleas on grain rats from Alexandria, which killed millions across the Mediterranean, weakened Rome, and paved the way for medieval Europe, Islam's rise, and smaller nation-states.