Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (300-600) - The Barbarians - Retrenchment in the East
4 important questions on Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (300-600) - The Barbarians - Retrenchment in the East
What imperial law was famous in the sixth century?
What was the first recorded pandemic about?
- The first recorded pandemic, which was caused by the exceptionally deadly plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It hit Justinian's Empire in 541 and lasted for 200 years.
- Coupled with sudden climate change, which brought about unaccustomed cold and frost to the eastern Roman Empire, the first pandemic, as one contemporary observer put it, "came close to wiping out the whole of mankind."
What did Justinian do after conquering Italy?
- After conquering Italy from the Ostrogoths, Justinian asserted his rule at Ravenna. Justinian inserted himself into the city's very fabric - both politically and physically.
- Politically, he found natural allies in the Christians living there who had chafed under the Arian Ostrogoths. Physically, he made his presence permanent in the city's chief church, San Vitale, which was still under construction when his troops arrived.
- Higher grades + faster learning
- Never study anything twice
- 100% sure, 100% understanding
What did Ravenna become in Italy?
- Ravenna became a center of early Christendom. Even after the Lombards took most of Italy, the "Romans" of the East held on to an hourglass-shaped strip of land running from Ravenna to Rome.
- Ravenna's almost impregnable position (surrounded by the marshes and various waters of the Po River estuary) and its location near a major port allowed it to become a linchpin of East-West connectivity.
The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:
- A unique study and practice tool
- Never study anything twice again
- Get the grades you hope for
- 100% sure, 100% understanding

















