The Black Death: The World's Most Devastating Plague

by Dorsey Armstrong

Streaming video, 2016

Status

Available

Call number

940.192

Publication

Great Courses (2016), 12 hours, 24 lectures, 194 pages

Description

History. Nonfiction. HTML: Many of us know the Black Death as a catastrophic event of the medieval world. But the Black Death was arguably the most significant event in Western history, profoundly affecting every aspect of human life, from the economic and social to the political, religious, and cultural. In its wake, the plague left a world that was utterly changed, forever altering the traditional structure of European societies and forcing a rethinking of every single system of Western civilization: food production and trade, the Church, political institutions, law, art, and more. In large measure, by the profundity of the changes it brought, the Black Death produced the modern world we live in today.While the story of the Black Death is one of destruction and loss, its breathtaking scope and effects make it one of the most compelling and deeply intriguing episodes in human history. Understanding the remarkable unfolding of the plague and its aftermath provides a highly revealing window not only on the medieval world but also on the forces that brought about the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and modernity itself.Speaking to the full magnitude of this world-changing historical moment, The Black Death: The World's Most Devastating Plague, taught by celebrated medievalist Dorsey Armstrong of Purdue University, takes you on an unforgettable excursion into the time period of the plague, its full human repercussions, and its transformative effects on European civilization. In 24 richly absorbing lectures, you'll follow the path of the epidemic in its complete trajectory across medieval Europe. Majestic in scope and remarkable in detail, this course goes to the heart of one of Western history's most catalytic and galvanizing moments, the effects of which gave us the modern world..… (more)

Language

English

Original language

English

Local notes

[01] Europe on the Brink of the Black Death [02] The Epidemiology of Plague [03] Did Plague Really Cause the Black Death? [04] The Black Death’s Ports of Entry [05] The First Wave Sweeps across Europe [06] The Black Death in Florence [07] The Black Death in France [08] The Black Death in Avignon [09] The Black Death in England [10] The Black Death in Walsham [11] The Black Death in Scandinavia [12] The End of the First Wave [13] Medieval Theories about the Black Death [14] Cultural Reactions from Flagellation to Hedonism [15] Jewish Persecution during the Black Death [16] Plague’s Effects on the Medieval Church [17] Plague Saints and Popular Religion [18] Artistic Responses to the Black Death [19] Literary Responses to the Black Death [20] The Economics of the Black Death [21] The Black Death’s Political Outcomes [22] Communities That Survived the First Wave [23] Later Plague Outbreaks: 1353-1666 [24] How the Black Death Transformed the World