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Theodora - X: This is My Empire - Extra History
🕑 Added 2016-02-12 12:26:38 +0000 UTC When a shadow engulfs the empire - and Justinian - it is only Theodora who can save it.
Comments
Andrew Nichols
This series was wonderful. I'm glad you guys got to tell a part of history that you were passionate about
Martin Ockovsky
Absolutely amazing. The story telling, the drawings... just wow. The blood puking was really nice! I mean the drawing
Robbie the Gnome
Ah! That's what my gut told me but I had no basis for that other than hunch. It's a shame because that would have helped in many ways.
Extra History
Yeah, cremation was forbidden in Christian doctrine of the time.
RMS Oceanic
The Antonine Plague probably reached Rome as a result of the war Marcus Aurelius had with the Parthians too. Soldiers moving around the world can be a great - for a certain definition of great - vector for this stuff.
Robbie the Gnome
Wow the visual characterization of the Plague was fantastic. A well wrought piece. An unfortunate side effect of booming and far reaching trade and far reaching campaigns of war is coming into new devastating and diseases. Did they not try to burn the bodies? Or was that too pagan?
Extra History
The major empires are usually the first to record these new diseases (because we are more likely to have their records than, say, a small nomadic culture's) but the fact that they're centers of trade and therefore exposure to lots of different infections does also raise the odds of people getting sick there. Then, in turn, the trade that goes out from them spreads those diseases even farther, same as rats on grain-bearing ships leaving Alexandria carried the plague very efficiently through the rest of the empire.
Extra History
Poor Justinian.
Extra History
Not really intentional, but they do go together quite nicely! And it was great that Theodora finally got some time to shine.
Extra History
There's always the future!
Extra History
And it was all a dream...
Extra History
We're devils, we are. Evil cliffhanger using devils!
Extra History
Call it... what?
Extra History
Huh! That's actually news to me about the co-incidence of wars and plagues.
Extra History
It is a good story, but I do love me some Snopes.
Extra History
David excels at this kind of thing!
Mark Harviston
It's a myth that ring around the rosie is about the plague if that's what you're implying. (<a href="http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.asp)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.asp)</a>
Sean Sarff
Yeah. Little disturbing when you learn the song you sang as a kid was about death eh?
Markus Berglund
Great visualization of the horrible plague!
Tiberia Prima
Ring Around the Rosie, of course.
Sean Sarff
Trivia question: Who can name the song that is directly about the Bubonic Plague?
Sean Sarff
This is the first written appearance of the Bubonic Plague in recorded history and was dubbed The Plague of Justinian. And was more than likely passed along by trade from China or India. As for your interest in war, funnily enough war usually causes outbreaks. Think about it, rats and other vermin live in cities, out of sight of the populace so that they can be near a food supply. An army comes in and sieges a town. Food eventually runs out and now all of those rats are loose searching for something to eat. Some end up with the attacking army and they spread the plague wherever the army goes. It's no coincidence that during and after a war, there's usually some kind of sickness that is spread.
Sean Sarff
Less Bellisarius taking over, and more the various factions of Rome simply going into open revolt and removing Justinian from power while he lay comatose. Theodora removing Bellisarius as a possible candidate removed a powerful figure head for the factions to rally behind. Without him, there was nothing for the factions wanting to rally to and likely went back to the same petty squabbles of trying to elevate their own factions.
Hung Nguyen
There was a black death before the Black Death? Crikes, I need to read more about history that isn't just about war and tactics.
Jane
I wonder how Bellisarius felt during his trial/punishment. Was Theodora truely scared of Bellisarius taking power or was this a political move to show the people Theodora was in control..
James
A twist that turns into a cliffhanger
Laura Galm
I know this is a strange comment considering this is history, but I wait for a series to be finished before I read more. "DAMN CLIFF HANGERS! WOKE UP AND!"
Trevor Sullivan
That's what happens when you're the first civilization to rule a continent and a half and keep meticulous records for 2000 years.
Dave Hoyt
Then... he woke up....
RMS Oceanic
Rome seems to get hit with a lot of the all time deadliest illnesses first, at least in Civilizations with written records: It was thought the Antonine Plague was the first appearance of Smallpox, the Cyprian Plague was possibly Measles' debut, and Emperors were struck down by both. It must have been seen as nothing short of miraculous that Justinian recovered. Meanwhile Bellisarius is a victim of his own success. It's a shame, but I can appreciate the dicey position Theodora found herself in.
Michael Waisfeld
Men plan and god laughs.
Aaron hutchinson
I love how this either intentionally or not ties into the last series with John Snow & Mary Seacole. I've also been waiting to hear more about Theodora since the beginning. I can't wait for more as the plague does off.
Alan Haskayne
Holy, this is a horrifying way of telling the story of the plague, makes me wish we had voted for a whole series just on plague.
