Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: Reily
Don’t forget the Plague of Justinian & the Volcanic Winter of 536 AD both events set the stage for societal collapse particularly in the East.

Possibly, but I'm not sure about those - wasn't Anatolia and Italy more affected than the parts that fell to the Arab empire?

I also think it was the stupid in-fighting caused after Chalcedon AND the persecution of the Jews

when the Arabs took over the Levant, Egypt and North Africa, the Copts, Syriac Christians as well as the Jews helped the Arabs take over - the Arabs were initially "our religion is ours alone, we don't want none of you losers"

25 posted on 07/07/2026 11:18:09 AM PDT by Cronos (Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies ]


To: Cronos

The Volcanic Winter was world-wide, significantly effect crop production - famine. Justinian’s Plague was particularly hard in the east. Both effected populations, hence effected trade, economies and the ability of the Eastern Empire & Persians to maintain and raise troops. As you pointed out both empires had devastated themselves with a 40 year war, the pressures of the plague and Volcanic Winter left a scarcity of resources to rebuild. They became a hollow shell. The Arabs essentially punched an empty bag!


26 posted on 07/07/2026 11:28:03 AM PDT by Reily
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson