1. Appearance of the plague
An epidemic of an unknown disease afflicted Edessa, metropolis of the province of Osrhoene, from the autumn of 494 until 497. The plague suddenly appeared in the city and apparently infected the greater part of the population.1 The symptoms of the disease were swellings and small tumours, swelling of the face with the appearance of pus as well as blisters in the whole body, even in the palms and the soles. In this phase, from 494 until 495, the disease does not appear to have been fatal for the people infected by it; however, scars remained to remind its passing. During the years 494-495, the epidemic probably totally retreated from Edessa, since at least our written source does not document any relevant information. Nevertheless, in 496-497, the disease revived in the city, as well as in the surrounding villages. This time it caused the blinding of many of its victims.
It is unknown which disease this was. According to the current scientific view it is assumed that it was a form of small-pox. This is implied by the presence of pimples that cover the body, as well as the cases of blinding caused by the epidemic.2
2. Efforts to confront the epidemic
The bishop of Edessa Cyrus urged the citizens to donate a silver case for the utensils of the Holy Communion in order to appease the divine wrath and thus terminate the course of the epidemic. For a moment the plague appeared to retreat; however, a few years later, during the famine of 500-502, the same, in all probability, disease afflicted the city again.
1. All our information comes from the testimony of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, cf. The Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, translated with notes and introduction by Trombley, F. R. and Watt, J. W. (Translated Texts for Historians 32, Liverpool 2000), pp. 23-26.
2. Stathakopoulos, D., Loimos kai Limos. A Systematic Survey and Typology of Epidemics and Famines in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine World (284-750 AD) (Diss. Univ. Wien 2000), nos. 78-79, pp. 100-101, 295-299.