Sunday, 12 May 2013

Black Death Inquiry Question #2


The first page of the narrative of Gabriele de’ Mussi. At the top of the page are the last few lines of the preceding narrative; de’ Mussi’s begins in the middle of the page. The first three lines, and the large “A” are in red ink, as are two other letters and miscellaneous pen-strokes; otherwise it is in black ink. Manuscript R 262, fos 74r; reproduced with the permission of the Library of the University of Wroclaw, Poland.

How did the Black Death Spread to Italy?

"Tell, O Sicily, and ye, the many islands of the sea, the judements of God. Confess, O Genoa, what thou hast done, since we of Genoa and Venice are compelled to make God's chastisement manifest. Alas! our ships enter the port, but of a thousand sailors hardly ten are spared. We reach our homes; our kindred and our neighbours come from all parts to visit us. Woe to us for we cast at the the darts of death! Whilst we spoke to them, whilst they embraced us and kissed us, we scattered the poison from our lips. Going back to their homes, they in turns soon infected their whole families, who in three days succumbed, and we buried in one common grave. Priests and doctors visiting the sick returned from their duties ill, and soon we numbered with the dead. O death! cruel, bitter, impious death! which thus breaks the bonds of affection and divides father and mother, brother and sister, son and wife. Lamenting our misery, we feared to fly, yet we dared not remain."
- The first page of the narrative of Gabriele de' Mussi


The Black Death first struck the northeastern Chinese province of Hopei in 1334, taking the lives of around five million people. Victims of the Black Death traveled west along trade routes to India, Syria and Mesopotamia.
In 1346, the Tartar army besieged Kaffa, a Genoese cathedral city. The Tartars catapulted the dead bodies of Plague infested men over the walls into the city. Kaffa was quick to dump the bodies back into the sea before boarding four Genoese ships in a hurry to escape the quickly spreading disease, as described by Gabriele de' Mussi in the text above. Unfortunately for them, the Plague had already come upon them. 

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/perspectives/de_mussi.php
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/origins/spread.php

1 comment:

  1. Useful primary source document included. Your own explanation of the document and a map would enhance this answer.

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