The Black Death Flashcards
Siege of Caffa
Known for its role in the spread of the Black Death in Europe; Mongol forces infected with the plague catapulted corpses of the dead into the city, spreading the disease to the defenders and transmitting it to Europe
Oriental Flea/Rat Flea
Species of flea, served a large role in spreading plague, which made it a focus of historical epidemiology, particularly in relation to major outbreaks in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. In these regions, the fleas traveled through rats onto ships, trade routes, and within expanding empires, facilitating the spread of plague across vast distances and populations.
Black Rat
thought to have spread the Black Death
Quaranta Giorni
translates to “40 days” and is the origin of the English word “quarantine”
Corpi Morti
an Italian phrase that translates to “dead bodies” or “bring out your dead bodies”
buboes
a symptom of bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, and are defined as large, painful, swollen lymph nodes that appear in the armpits, groin, neck, or thighs
plague pit
a large, deep hole dug to bury victims of the bubonic plague when there aren’t enough resources to bury them using normal procedures
plague doctor
a physician who treated patients infected with the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, during the 16th and 17th centuries
The Flagellants
members of a quickly growing religious movement that used public displays of self-flagellation as a form of penance.
pogrom
Riots against jews (widespread persecution) and scapegoats for the cause of the Black Death. Anti Jewish extermination was widespread
memento mori
a phrase that means “remember that you must die”
transi tomb
graphic depictions of decomposing bodies
madrasa
schools of Islamic law
