Impact of the Black Death

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the Black Death as described in the lecture, focusing on the societal, emotional, and theological impacts of the pandemic.

What was the human cost of the Black Death in Florence?

Sixty percent of the population died.

What were the carriers of the plague?

Fleas on rats.

What sources are useful for understanding the Black Death?

Writings of Boccaccio.

How did Boccaccio describe the impact of the plague on society?

He explained its social, political, emotional, and individual effects.

What similarities can be drawn between the Black Death and the COVID-19 pandemic?

Distrust of physicians and isolation.

What was the reasoning behind the actions of flagellants during the Black Death?

To show contrition and to persuade God to stop punishing humanity.

What served as a scapegoat during the Black Death?

Jews, heretics, and lepers were commonly targeted.

What is memento mori?

A reminder to be mindful of death and prepare oneself for a good death.

What shift occurred in how people viewed God during the Black Death?

God was seen as punitive, leading to a theological shift towards viewing Christ as a figure who suffers with humanity.

What was a common metaphor for the inevitability of death in medieval art?

The motif of the Three Living and the Three Dead.

How did the view of death and dying evolve during the Black Death?

People became more death-focused, resulting in literature and art that reflected mortality.

What kind of plague outbreaks continued after the initial Black Death?

Subsequent waves of plague continued to affect the population until the eighteenth century.

How did the Catholic Church fare during the Black Death?

Clergy also died, causing people to question the institution’s validity.