Could the Black Death of the Sixth Century have not occurred (perhaps a mutation did not happen)? How much did this contribute to the descent of the Dark Ages?
Could the Black Death of the Sixth Century have not occurred (perhaps a mutation did not happen)? How much did this contribute to the descent of the Dark Ages?
I believe it was very largely responsible for the Dark Ages, but it may have been brought on by a huge volcanic eruption in Indonesia in which case it would be difficult to posit a POD. Perhaps something cuts off Ethiopia from the rest of the world preventing spread of the plague, or at least delaying it for 20 years or so, allowing the Roman Empire to reassert its rule over the Mid East and recover from the Persian War.
