Epidemics. 187 



also, the germs of plague existed in Southern Europe, which 

 might be vivified by atmospherical deteriorations ; and that 

 thus, at least in part, the Black plague may have originated 

 in Europe itself. The corruption of the atmosphere came 

 from the East ; but the disease itself came not upon the 

 wings of the wind, but was only excited and increased by 

 the atmosphere where it had previously existed. 



" This source of the Black plague was not, however, the 

 only one ; for, far more powerful than the excitement of 

 the latent elements of the plague by atmospheric influences 

 was the effect of the contagion communicated from one 

 people to another on the great roads, and in the harbours 

 of the Mediterranean. From China the route of the caravans 

 lay to the north of the Caspian Sea, through Central Asia, 

 to Tauris. Here ships were ready to take the produce of 

 the East to Constantinople, the capital of commerce, and 

 the medium of connection between Asia, Europe, and Africa.* 

 Other caravans went from India to Asia Minor, and touched 

 at the cities south of the Caspian Sea, and lastly, from 

 Bagdad, through Arabia to Egypt ; also the maritime com- 

 munication on the Red Sea, from India to Arabia and Egypt, 

 was not inconsiderable. In all these directions contagion 

 made its way ; and doubtless Constantinople and the har- 

 bours of Asia Minor are to be regarded as the foci of infec- 

 tion, whence it radiated to the more distant seaports and 

 islands. 



"To Constantinople, the plague had been brought from 

 the northern coast of the Black Sea,t after it had depopu- 

 lated the countries between those routes of commerce ; and 

 appeared, as early as 1347, in Cyprus, Sicily, Marseilles and 

 some of the seaports of Italy. The remaining islands of the 

 Mediterranean, particularly Sardinia, Corsica, and Majorca, 

 were visited in succession. Foci of contagion existed also in 

 full activity along the whole southern coast of Europe ; when, 

 in January, 1348, the plague appeared in Avignon, % and in 

 other cities in the south of France and north of Italy, as well 

 as in Spain. 



" The precise days of its eruption in the individual towns 

 are no longer to be ascertained, but it was not simultaneous ; 

 for in Florence, the disease appeared in the beginning of 



* Compare Deguignes, Loc. cit., p. 288. 



| According to the general Byzantine designation, " from the 

 country of the hyperborean Scythians." Kantakuzen, Loc. cit. 

 t Quid. Cauliac, Loc. cit. 



