3. The Plague of Justinian
Death toll: 37.5 million (estimated 25 – 50 million)
Year: 541 – 542
The next in line on our list of biggest epidemics in human history is The Plague of Justinian that was the first bubonic plague epidemic in Europe. The disease was probably brought to Constantinople by grain ships from Egypt, carrying infected rats. The epidemics devastated the mighty Justinian Empire and stopped his efforts towards the recreation of the Roman Empire. Even the Emperor himself caught the plague but managed to survive it, unlike many of his fellow countrymen. It spread throughout the Mediterranean, as well as through Justinian’s rivals land in Sassanid Empire.
Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com
