An excellent read, but if you're expecting a straight narrative regarding the earliest known plague epidemic, look elsewhere. Rosen weaves in history from many different aspects: architecture, mathematics, burgeoning medical science, biographic summaries of many of Justinian's contemporaries, art, philosophy, religion, wars, etc. This is more of a wide-ranging look at the gradual move from antiquity to the medieval period, with the plague casting a shadow over the entirety. Meanders a bit, especially near the end where I feel Rosen got bogged down in his own narrative, but definitely an interesting read as long as one isn't expecting plague and nothing but the plague.
Minor Characters
An excellent read, but if you're expecting a straight narrative regarding the earliest known plague epidemic, look elsewhere. Rosen weaves in history from many different aspects: architecture, mathematics, burgeoning medical science, biographic summaries of many of Justinian's contemporaries, art, philosophy, religion, wars, etc. This is more of a wide-ranging look at the gradual move from antiquity to the medieval period, with the plague casting a shadow over the entirety. Meanders a bit, especially near the end where I feel Rosen got bogged down in his own narrative, but definitely an interesting read as long as one isn't expecting plague and nothing but the plague.
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Not Merely Because of the Unknown That Was Stalking Toward Them
