In 1347 the infamous Black Death was unleashed on Constantinople.
“Every day we bury some friend, the City is emptying of people and filling with graves.” -Demetrios Kydones
The plague had made its way West from China, and came via Genoese merchants from the Crimea. “This was a more virulent form of the bubonic plague that had struck under Justinian and, in a series of outbreaks that recurred roughly every ten years or so, it killed between 30 and 60% of the population.”
The Emperor John Kantakouzenos even lost his son Andronikos Kantakouzenos to the plague, it touched everyone regardless of wealth or status. The plague added yet another major demographic stress factor for the failing Roman state as it lost territory, suffered raids, and fought vicious civil wars within itself.
Source: The New Roman Empire by Anthony Kaldellis
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