---
product_id: 141798184
title: "Justinian's Flea: The First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire Kindle Edition"
brand: "william rosen"
price: "FREE"
currency: EUR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/141798184-justinians-flea-the-first-great-plague-and-the-end-roman
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# Justinian's Flea: The First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire Kindle Edition

**Brand:** william rosen
**Price:** FREE
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Justinian's Flea: The First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire Kindle Edition by william rosen
- **How much does it cost?** FREE with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/141798184-justinians-flea-the-first-great-plague-and-the-end-roman)

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐ 







  
  
    There are lots of one star reviews already. I ignored them, thinking I knew better. Heed the warnings.
  

*by D***K on Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2017*

I love history. Especially classical history. This book has two glaring issues that made a history lover grumble all the way through it. Note I have the audible edition.#1. You won't even get to anything closely related to Justinian until you are two hours into it. It will take another four hours before you get to the plague. The author's digressions within digressions will gradually peel away your will to live.#2. The narration is jarring and robotic -- painful. I put my audible app "skip ahead" to 90 seconds and used it liberally after enough hours of my time had been burned away, along with any hope the writing would somehow make up for the terrible narration.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Fascinating history of Rome and the plague
  

*by P***S on Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020*

First and foremost this is a history that interweaves the plague with the people, circumstances and events during the reign of Emperor Justinian.  It isn't a history of the science of the first great plague though JUSTINIAN'S FLEA includes plenty of scientific detail.  The history begins a little before Justinian's reign and ends at the founding of the Islamic world all while chronicling the dozens of times bubonic plague reemerged throughout the empire.  Though I've studied this era of the Roman empire, I'd never really associated with bouts of plague.  Rosen persistently avoided the typical focus on the rather outlandish duo of Justinian and Theodora choosing to relate the stories of generals like Belisarius and administrators such as John the Cappadocian as well as an extensive section on the Hagia Sofia. I found this level of detail informed  without overwhelming me while Rosen's often humorous depictions kept the book entertaining while covering an amazing amount of subject matter rather effortlessly.There are a few drawbacks for a potential reader despite the author's skill as a storyteller.  Unfortunately, the intro itself is a bit awkward yet important because it's the lead in to the rest of the book.  If I'd been the editor's editor, I'd have had him cut this section (which seems to be an inexplicable tie in to Ad Astra, really!) and replace it with a dedication and maybe a relevant quote or two.  I suggest starting with the prologue.  I'd also suggest using an atlas of antiquity.  The only drawings included are of parts of maps that could fit on one page.  Otherwise, Rosen describes the Hagia Sofia so vividly no visuals are needed.  I'll probably find a coffee table book of it anyway.  One other minor problem are year references that require going back two or three pages for clarification.  This was especially an issue when Rosen discusses  another event and its year before returning to the main timeline.  Except for these issues and a brief return to outer space in the epilogue, Justinian's Flea has to be one of my all-time favorite books.Truly a mini-course could be built around Justinian's Flea.  Two related works mentioned:Augustine's City of GodBoethius's Consolation of PhilosophyThe last page presents the plague's return in 1347 as the Great Mortality almost as a promo for John Kelly's The Great Mortality.And of course the end notes contain numerous references to source material.Maybe a peek at Ad Astra would be worthwhile as well ...

### ⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Barely about the Plague. Mostly about Roman History.
  

*by D***E on Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017*

I bought this book because I'm interested in history - scientific history, specifically (NOT political history). This book bills itself as having to do with the epidemiology of The Plague and the dramatic and world-changing impact thereof. The title, subtitle and blurb on the back would have you believe it’s about science, epidemiology, the social history of the disease, and forensics involved in tracing it’s spread, effects, etc. Sounds fascinating! But the content of the book is actually about 5% related to any of those things. The other 95% is an extremely dense and dry geo-political history of the Roman and Persian Empires and their effect on the proto-European settlements which would eventually shape the European continent. So basically… all the snooze-fest stuff you used to fall asleep to in World History class. If you like that stuff, great. It’s reasonably well-written, very thorough and informative. I have to admit, I did learn a lot about quite a few Persian and Roman emperors, generals, soldiers, their family dramas, personality traits, politics, battles, marches, victories, defeats - yawn - what was I talking about?What really bugs me is how the book’s entire supposed thesis, as described very clearly and succinctly in the subtitle and elsewhere (How the Plague brought about the fall of the Roman Empire) is barely a footnote in the entire tome. In fact, when they do get around to talking about the impact of The Plague on the Roman Empire, it’s surprisingly dismissed as a “possible” factor. Not sufficient. Probably not even necessary. Basically, “We don’t really know and no one could ever really know.” Buried in the depths of this thick text is a single sentence which brings it all around, saying something to the effect of “Yeah, well, so maybe it mattered, maybe it didn’t. Everything probably would have worked out just about the same, with or without the plague” - What?? Are you kidding me? What a disappointment!I feel like the publisher was quite possibly intentionally attempting to ride the wave of popular science/sociology writing with multiple instances of misleading information on the cover - to no discredit of the author. Too bad. The book itself, to the right audience, would be a good one. But I’m not that audience and never would have spent my time or money having to learn that the hard way.

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*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*