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    10.7 "A Most Terrible Plague": Giovanni Boccaccio

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    Giovanni Boccaccio describes a devastating plague that hit Florence, Italy in 1348. Over the course of a few months, the plague killed over 100,000 people in Florence, which was more than two-thirds of the city's population at the time. Boccaccio details the gruesome symptoms of the plague and the panic it caused. People did not know how to treat it and fled the city or engaged in extreme behaviors in attempts to avoid catching the disease. The plague had devastating social and economic impacts on Florence and the surrounding countryside.

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    10.7 "A Most Terrible Plague": Giovanni Boccaccio

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    306 views2 pages
    Giovanni Boccaccio describes a devastating plague that hit Florence, Italy in 1348. Over the course of a few months, the plague killed over 100,000 people in Florence, which was more than two-thirds of the city's population at the time. Boccaccio details the gruesome symptoms of the plague and the panic it caused. People did not know how to treat it and fled the city or engaged in extreme behaviors in attempts to avoid catching the disease. The plague had devastating social and economic impacts on Florence and the surrounding countryside.

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    appartsunit4middleagesamostterribleplaguegiovanniboccaccio

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    Giovanni Boccaccio describes a devastating plague that hit Florence, Italy in 1348. Over the course of a few months, the plague killed over 100,000 people in Florence, which was more than two-thirds of the city's population at the time. Boccaccio details the gruesome symptoms of the plague and the panic it caused. People did not know how to treat it and fled the city or engaged in extreme behaviors in attempts to avoid catching the disease. The plague had devastating social and economic impacts on Florence and the surrounding countryside.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    306 views2 pages

    10.7 "A Most Terrible Plague": Giovanni Boccaccio

    Uploaded by

    api-328093670
    Giovanni Boccaccio describes a devastating plague that hit Florence, Italy in 1348. Over the course of a few months, the plague killed over 100,000 people in Florence, which was more than two-thirds of the city's population at the time. Boccaccio details the gruesome symptoms of the plague and the panic it caused. People did not know how to treat it and fled the city or engaged in extreme behaviors in attempts to avoid catching the disease. The plague had devastating social and economic impacts on Florence and the surrounding countryside.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    10.

    7AMostTerriblePlague:GiovanniBoccaccio

    GiovanniBoccaccioisbestknownasahumanistoftheItalianRenaissance.Thefollowingexcerpt
    isfromhismostfamouswork,TheDecameron.Writtenduringtheplagueyearsbetween1348and
    1353,itisacollectionofstoriestoldintimatelybetweenfriendswhiletheypassedthetimeaway
    fromFlorenceinthesolitudeandsafetyofthecountry.Itbeginswithadetaileddescriptionofthe
    pestilence.OvertwothirdsofthepopulationofFlorencediedoftheplague.

    Source:AMostTerriblePlagueisfromGiovanniBoccaccio,TheDecameron,inStoriesofBoccaccio,trans.John
    Payne(London:BibliophilistLibrary,1903),pp.16.

    GIOVANNIBOCCACCIO

    IntheyearthenofourLord1348,therehappenedatFlorence,thefinestcityinallItaly,amostterrible
    plaguewhich,whetherowingtotheinfluenceoftheplanets,orthatitwassentfromGodasajust
    punishmentforoursins,hadbrokenoutsomeyearsbeforeintheLevant,andafterpassingfromplaceto
    place,andmakingincrediblehavocalltheway,hadnowreachedthewest.There,inspiteofallthemeans
    thatartandhumanforesightcouldsuggest,suchaskeepingthecityclearfromfilth,theexclusionofall
    suspectedpersons,andthepublicationofcopiousinstructionsforthepreservationofhealthand
    notwithstandingmanifoldsupplicationsofferedtoGodinprocessionsandotherwise,itbegantoshowitself
    inthespringoftheaforesaidyear,inasadandwonderfulmanner.Unlikewhathadbeenseenintheeast,
    wherebleedingfromthenoseisthefatalprognostic,herethereappearedcertaintumoursinthegroinor
    underthearmpits,someasbigasasmallapple,othersasaneggandafterwardspurplespotsinmost
    partsofthebodyinsomecaseslargeandbutfewinnumber,inotherssmallerandmorenumerousboth
    sortstheusualmessengersofdeath.Tothecureofthismalady,neithermedicalknowledgenorthepower
    ofdrugswasofanyeffectwhetherbecausethediseasewasinitsownnaturemortal,orthatthephysicians
    (thenumberofwhom,takingquacksandwomenpretendersintotheaccount,wasgrownverygreat)could
    formnojustideaofthecause,norconsequentlydeviseatruemethodofcurewhicheverwasthereason,
    fewescapedbutnearlyalldiedthethirddayfromthefirstappearanceofthesymptoms,somesooner,
    somelater,withoutanyfeveroraccessorysymptoms.Whatgavethemorevirulencetothisplague,was
    that,bybeingcommunicatedfromthesicktothehealthy,itspreaddaily,likefirewhenitcomesincontact
    withlargemassesofcombustibles.Norwasitcaughtonlybyconversingwith,orcomingnearthesick,but
    evenbytouchingtheirclothes,oranythingthattheyhadbeforetouched....

    Thesefacts,andothersofthelikesort,occasionedvariousfearsanddevicesamongstthosewhosurvived,
    alltendingtothesameuncharitableandcruelendwhichwas,toavoidthesick,andeverythingthathad
    beennearthem,expectingbythatmeanstosavethemselves.Andsomeholdingitbesttolive
    temperately,andtoavoidexcessesofallkinds,madeparties,andshutthemselvesupfromtherestofthe
    worldeatinganddrinkingmoderatelyofthebest,anddivertingthemselveswithmusic,andsuchother
    entertainmentsastheymighthavewithindoorsneverlisteningtoanythingfromwithout,tomakethem
    uneasy.Othersmaintainedfreelivingtobeabetterpreservative,andwouldbaulknopassionorappetite
    theywishedtogratify,drinkingandrevellingincessantlyfromtaverntotavern,orinprivatehouses(which
    werefrequentlyfounddesertedbytheowners,andthereforecommontoeveryone),yetstrenuously

    avoiding,withallthisbrutalindulgence,tocomeneartheinfected.Andsuch,atthattime,wasthepublic
    distress,thatthelaws,humananddivine,werenomoreregardedfortheofficers,toputtheminforce,
    beingeitherdead,sick,orinwantofpersonstoassistthem,everyonedidjustashepleased.Athirdsortof
    peoplechoseamethodbetweenthesetwo:notconfiningthemselvestorulesofdietliketheformer,andyet
    avoidingtheintemperanceofthelatterbuteatinganddrinkingwhattheirappetitesrequired,theywalked
    everywherewith[fragrancesandnosecoverings],forthewholeatmosphereseemedtothemtaintedwith
    thestenchofdeadbodies,arisingpartlyfromthedistemperitself,andpartlyfromthefermentingofthe
    medicineswithinthem.Otherswithlesshumanity,but...withmoresecurityfromdanger,decidedthatthe
    onlyremedyforthepestilencewastoavoidit:persuaded,therefore,ofthis,andtakingcareforthemselves
    only,menandwomeningreatnumbersleftthecity,theirhouses,relations,andeffects,andfledintothe
    countryasifthewrathofGodhadbeenrestrainedtovisitthoseonlywithinthewallsofthecity....

    Ipassoverthelittleregardthatcitizensandrelationsshowedtoeachotherfortheirterrorwassuch,thata
    brotherevenfledfromhisbrother,awifefromherhusband,and,whatismoreuncommon,aparentfromhis
    ownchild.Hencenumbersthatfellsickcouldhavenohelpbutwhatthecharityoffriends,whowerevery
    few,ortheavariceofservantssuppliedandeventhesewerescarceandatextravagantwages,andso
    littleusedtothebusinessthattheywerefitonlytoreachwhatwascalledfor,andobservewhentheir
    employerdiedandthisdesireofgettingmoneyoftencostthemtheirlives....

    Itfarednobetterwiththeadjacentcountry,for...youmightseethepoordistressedlabourers,withtheir
    families,withouteithertheaidofphysicians,orhelpofservants,languishingonthehighways,inthefields,
    andintheirownhouses,anddyingratherlikecattlethanhumancreatures.Theconsequencewasthat,
    growingdissoluteintheirmannerslikethecitizens,andcarelessofeverything,assupposingeverydayto
    betheirlast,theirthoughtswerenotsomuchemployedhowtoimprove,ashowtousetheirsubstancefor
    theirpresentsupport.

    WhatcanIsaymore,ifIreturntothecity,unlessthatsuchwasthecrueltyofHeaven,andperhapsofmen,
    thatbetweenMarchandJulyfollowing,accordingtoauthenticreckonings,upwardsofahundredthousand
    soulsperishedinthecityonlywhereas,beforethatcalamity,itwasnotsupposedtohavecontainedso
    manyinhabitants.Whatmagnificentdwellings,whatnoblepalaceswerethendepopulatedtothelast
    inhabitant!Whatfamiliesbecameextinct!Whatrichesandvastpossessionswereleft,andnoknownheirto
    inheritthem!Whatnumbersofbothsexes,intheprimeandvigourofyouth...breakfastedinthemorning
    withtheirlivingfriends,andsuppedatnightwiththeirdepartedfriendsintheotherworld!

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