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Pandemic & epidemic
541 – 544 · Pelusium, Nile Delta
The first wave of the so-called Plague of Justinian is recorded in Egypt in 541 and reaches Constantinople in 542. The scale of mortality is disputed; outbreaks continue for centuries after this first wave.
The scale is uncertain: ancient accounts cannot be converted into a reliable count, and modern reassessments dispute the highest estimates.
Plague of Justinian · The Justinianic Plague: An inconsequential pandemic?
Historians disagree on exact figures; the range shown reflects the scholarly literature.