Grief

For Grief, a total of 9 epidemic events are known so far. It is a social response.

Table

Table

Page	DateStart date of the disease.	SummarySummary of the disease event	OriginalOriginal text	TranslationEnglish translation of the text	ReferenceReference(s) to literature	Reference translationReference(s) to the translation
1217-03-00-Cairo	March 1217 JL	The fragment of a letter mentions a great epidemic (al-wabāʾ al-ʿaẓīm) which has struck the different parts of Cairo and has affected the physician and head of the Jews in Egypt (nagid), Avraham Maimonides (d. 1237), and his daughter. The fragment bears no date, but see here.	recto: ואמא חאלנא פאן אלמולי אלרייס הנגיד יג יק[ אלאכבר מריץ פי שדה אללה יעאפיה ובנתה[ איצא והו גיר קאדר עלי מלאזמתה{א} אלא מלאזם ו[ט]אה טול אלאסבוע לא ינזל ליל ולא נהאר והו מן דלך פי שדה עטימה אללה יומן (=ימון) [אלעאפיה] ואמס וצלני ורקה מן צהרה רבנו חננאל הדיין הגדול דאם עזה והו יקול אן הדה אלאיאם מתל יום הדין כל שכץ משגול בנפסה verso: ואנמא עזימתנא וכליתנא עלי אלכלאץ מן הדא אלובא אלעטים אלדי מא פי מצר ואלקאהרה בית מן חשובי ישראל וגירהם אלא ופיה מריץ או מרצי ואלנאס פי שדה עטימה משאגיל אנפסהם ען בעצהם בעץ פכפי ען גריב	As to us, our lord, the Rayyis, the Nagid [may his] gl[ory be] in[creased], the chief [Rav] is seriously ill, may God heal him, and so is his daughter; he is unable to treat her, and confined to his bed; throughout the week he could not get up, neither at night, nor at daytime, which caused him great grief; may God grant him health. Yesterday, I received a note from his father-in-law, our master, Hananel, the chief justice, may his high position endure, saying: "These days are like the Last Judgment; everyone is occupied only with himself." We strive to save ourselves from the great plague. In Miṣr [Fustat] and Cairo, there is no house belonging to important persons and, in fact, to anyone else, where not one or several persons are ill. People are in great trouble, occupied with themselves and unable to care for others, let alone for strangers.	Princeton Geniza Project (PGP), T-S NS 321.93, lines 8-14 recto, 3-6 verso, ed. by Shelomo D. Goitein, Chief Judge R. Ḥanan'el b. Samuel, In-law of R. Moses Maimonides (in Hebrew), in: Tarbiẕ 50, no. 10 (1980), pp. 371-395 PGP	None; None;
1258-00-00-Syria	1258 JL	Around the time when the Mongols took Baghdad, an epidemic (ṭāʿūn) affected the people in Syria. This was in 656 H (January 8, 1258 to December 27, 1258). The former Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, al-Nāṣir Dāwūd, died of the disease in al-Buwayḍāʾ [May 21, 1259], a village in the surroundings of Damascus. His cousin al-Nāṣir Yūsuf, the lord of Damascus, traveled to al-Buwayḍāʾ, transferred Dāwūd's body to al-Ṣāliḥiyya and buried it in the tomb of Dāwūd's father al-Malik al-Muʿaẓẓam.	ولحق الناس بالشام في تلك المدة طاعون مات فيه الناصر داود، وخرج الناصر يوسف صاحب دمشق إلى البويضاء، وأظهر عليه الحزن والتأسف، ونقله إلى الصالحية فدفنه بتربة والده المعظم	In that period, a plague struck the Levant, in which Al-Nasser David died, and Al-Nasser Yusuf of Damascus went to Al-Buwayda, showed grief and sorrow for him, and transferred him to Salhiyah, where he was buried in the soil of his great father.	Ibn Faḍl Allāh al-ʿUmarī - Masālik al-abṣār 2001-2004, vol. 27, p. 369.	Translation by DeepL
1334-Summer-France	June 1334 JL	In France, Burgundy, and the Champagne raged a plague during the three months of summer. In Paris (where the author stayed) died 16.000 people in one hospital.	Eodem anno mense Mai gelu intolerabile vineas omnes in partibus Almanie. Tantum destruxit, quod post vindemia luxit. In Burgundia vero et in Francia et Campania, ubi tempore vindemie pertransivi, non tantum dampnum factum fuisse conspeci. Aliam autem plagam Deus hoc anno eisdem terris intulit, quia mortalitatis pestilencia plurimos homines tunc percussit. Parysius namque infra tres menses estivales in hospitali regis, quod ante monasterium beate virginis in kathedrali ecclesia situm est, quod dolenter refero, sedecim milia hominum sunt mortua et in cimiterio innocentum sepulta, me etenim in ipso hospitali existente et compassivo animo contuente. Tot sunt in brevi mortui, quod vix erant tot, qui hos tollerent et ad tumulum deportarent.	In the same year in the month of May an unbearable frost destroyed all the vinyards in the German lands so that the grape harvest was in grief. But in Burgundy and in France and the Champagne, through where I passed during grape harvest, I did not see such damage. But God put in this year another load on these lands since a deadly plague killed many people then. For in Paris died during the three months of summer in the royal hospital, which is situated in front of the monastery of the Holy Virgin at the cathedral church, as I report with regrets, 16.000 people, and they were buried at the graveyard of the innocent. In fact, I stayed in this hospital and watched with a compassionate heart. So many died in a short period of time that there were hardly as many who could pick them up and bring them to their graves.	Peter of Zittau, Chronicon Aula regiae (Kronika Zbraslavská), in: Emler (ed.), Fontes rerum Bohemicarum IV, Prague 1884, pp. 1-337, 321.	Translation by Christian Oertel
1341-12-22-Pisa	22 December 1341 JL	Price increase and famine lead to a great mortality in Pisa, especially among adolescents and the general captain Fazio Novello della Gherardesca died.	Nel milletrecentoquarantuno, essendo stato grande caro di grano l'anno dinansi che ss'era fatto la piassa del Grano e ffue grandissima fame, di che l'anno 1341 ditto si ffue grande mortalità di giovani. Inella quale mortalità, a d*i vindtidue, 22, di dicienbrew moritte lo ditto conte Fasio, nella chui morte ne menòe Pisa grande duolo e quazi tutta Toschana e ciaschuno lo piansse come se fusse stato suo padre o suo figluolo.	In the year 1341, since there had been a great shortage of grain in the year of the wheat harvest, and there was great hunger, there was a great mortality of young men. In this mortality, on the 22nd day of October, the said Count Fasio died, in whose death there was great grief in Pisa and all of Tosca and everyone mourned him as if he had been his father or his son	Template:Cronica di Pisa 2005, p. 105.	Translation by Thomas Wozniak
1348-00-00-Italy 004	1348 JL	Report of Gabrielle de Mussis: Describes how the plague came from the city of Feodosia (Caffa) through sailors to Genoa and how it spreads rapidly about complete Italy, killing thousands and leading to mass deaths and panic. The society was overwhelmed by death and grief. The suffering is seen as a punishment from God.	Sane, quia ab oriente in occidentem transiuimus, licet omnia discutere que vidimus et cognouimus probabilimus argumentis, et que possumus deij terribilia Judicia declarare. audiant vniuersi et lacrimis habundare cogantur. Inquit enim conctipotens, delebo hominem quem creaui a facie terre. quia caro et sanguis est , in cinerem et puluerem conuertetur. Spiritus meus non permanebit in homine. Quid putas bone deus, sie tuam creaturam delere, et humanum genus, sic jubes, sic mandas subito depperire . vbi misericordia tua, vbi fedus patrum nostrorum.vbi est uirgo beata, que suo gremio continet peccatores. vbi martirum preciosus sanguis vbi confessorum et uirginum Agmina decorata, et tocius exercitus paradixi. qui pro peccatoribus rogare non desinunt . vbi mors Christi preciosa crucis, et nostra redemptio admirabilis. Cesset obsecro ira tua bone deus, nec sic conteras peccatores, ut fructu multiplicato penitencie. Aufferas omne malum nec cum iniustis iusti clampnentur quia misericordiam vis et non sacrificium. Te audio peccatorem, uerba mein auribus instillantem. Stille jubeo . Misericordie tempora deffecerunt. Deus uocor ulcionum. libet peccata et scelera vindicare. dabo signa mea inorientibus preuenti studeant animarum prouidere saluti. Sic euenit a preffata Caffensi terra,nauigio discedente, quedam paucis gubernata nautis, eciam uenenato morbo infectis Januam Applicarunt quedam venecijs quedam (p. 50) alijs partibus christianorum. Mirabile dictu. Nauigantes, cum ad terras aliquas accedebant, ac si rnaligni spiritus comitantes, mixtis hominibus Intererint. omnis ciuitas, omnis locus, omnis terra et habitatores eorum vtriusque sexus, morbi contagio pestifero uenenati, morte subita corruebant. Et cum unus ceperat Egrotari, mox cadens et moriens vniuersam familiam uenenabat. Iniciantes, ut cadauera sepelirent, mortis eodem genere corruebant. Sic sic mors per fenestras Intrabat. et depopullatis vrbibus et Castellis, loca, suos deffunctos acolas deplorabant. Dic dic Janua, quid fecisti. Narra Sijcilia, et Insule pellagi copiose, Judicia deij. Explica venecia, Tuscia, et tota ytalia, quid agebas. Nos Januensis et venetus dei Judicia reuellare compellimus. Proh dolor Nostris ad vrbes, classibus applicatis, Intrauimus domos nostras. Et quia nos grauis Infirmitas detinebat . et nobis de Mille Navigantibus vix decem supererant, propinqui, Affines, et conuicini ad nos vndique confluebant. heu nobis, qui mortis Jacula portabamus, dum amplexibus et osculis nos tenerent, ex ore, dum uerba uerba loquebamur, venenuni fundere cogebamur. Sic illi ad propria reuertentes, mox totam familiam venenabant . et Infra triduum, percussa familia, mortis Jaculo subiacebat, exequias funeris pro pluribus ministrantes, crescente numero deffunctorum pro sepulturis terra sufficere non ualebant. presbiteri et medici , quibus Infirmorum cura rnaior necessitatis Articulis Iminebat, dum Infirmos uisitare satagunt, proh dolor, recedentes Infirmi, deffunctos statim subsequuntur. O, patres. O, matres, O, filij, et vxores, gros diu prosperitas, Incollumes conseruauit, nec Infelices et Infeliciores, pre ceteris, vos simul, eadem sepultura concludit qui pari numdo fruebamini leticia et omnis prosperitas aridebat . qui gaudia uanitatibus miscebatis, idem tumulus vos suscepit, vermibus esca datos. O mors dura, mors Impia, mors aspera, mors crudelis, que sic parentes diuidis, dissocias coniugatos, filios Interficis, fratres separas , et sonores . plangimus, miseri calamitates nostras.	Since we have traveled from the east to the west, we are permitted to discuss all that we have seen and known with probable arguments and to declare the terrible judgments of God that we can. Let everyone hear and be compelled to overflow with tears. For the Almighty says, "I will destroy the man whom I have created from the face of the earth, because he is flesh and blood, and he will be turned into ashes and dust. My spirit will not remain in man." What do you think, good God, about thus destroying your creation and commanding the human race to suddenly perish in this way? Where is your mercy, where is the covenant with our fathers? Where is the blessed Virgin who holds sinners in her lap? Where is the precious blood of the martyrs, where are the decorated bands of confessors and virgins, and the entire army of paradise? They do not cease to pray for sinners. Where is the precious death of Christ on the cross and our admirable redemption? Cease, I beseech you, your anger, good God, and do not crush sinners so that the fruit of penance may multiply. Remove all evil, and do not let the just be condemned with the unjust, for you desire mercy, not sacrifice. I hear you, sinner, instilling my words in your ears. I command you to stop. The times of mercy have ended. I am called the God of vengeance. I am pleased to avenge sins and crimes. I will give my signs to those in the east, let them strive to ensure the salvation of their souls. Thus it happened that from the aforementioned land of Caffa, a certain ship, governed by a few sailors, even infected with the venomous plague, set sail and arrived at Genoa. Some went to Venice, others to other parts of Christendom. It is incredible to say. When the sailors approached any lands, as if accompanied by malignant spirits, mixing with the people, every city, every place, every land and its inhabitants of both sexes, infected by the contagious pestilence, suddenly collapsed in death. And when one began to fall sick, soon falling and dying, he poisoned the entire household. Those who came to bury the corpses fell by the same kind of death. Thus, death entered through the windows, and with the cities and castles depopulated, the places mourned their dead inhabitants. Tell, Genoa, what have you done? Tell, Sicily, and the numerous islands of the sea, declare the judgments of God. Explain, Venice, Tuscany, and all of Italy, what were you doing. We Genoese and Venetians are compelled to reveal the judgments of God. Oh, sorrow, when we arrived at our cities with our fleets, we entered our homes. And since we were held by a severe illness, with scarcely ten of us out of a thousand sailors surviving, relatives, friends, and neighbors flocked to us from everywhere. Alas for us, who bore the arrows of death, as they held us in their embraces and kisses, while we spoke words, we were compelled to pour out poison from our mouths. Thus, they returning to their homes, soon poisoned their entire household. And within three days, the family struck by the arrow of death lay dead, and those attending the funerals of many could not find enough earth for burials, as the number of the dead increased. Priests and doctors, whose care for the sick was most needed, while striving to visit the sick, oh sorrow, leaving the sick, immediately followed the dead. Oh, fathers, oh mothers, oh sons, and wives, whom prosperity long preserved unharmed, neither the unfortunate nor the most unfortunate were buried together in the same grave. Those who enjoyed equal prosperity and happiness, the same tomb received, given as food for worms. Oh harsh death, impious death, bitter death, cruel death, that thus divides parents, separates spouses, kills sons, and separates brothers and sisters. We, the miserable, lament our calamities.	Template:Gabrielle de Mussi, pp. 49–50	Translation by ChatGPT-3.5
1348-05-00-Siena	May 1348 JL	The Black Death ravages in Siena.	La mortalità cominciò in Siena di magio, la quale fu oribile e crudel cosa, e non so da qual lato cominciare la crudeltà che era e modi dispiatati, che quasi a ognuno pareva che di dolore a vedere si diventavano stupefatti; e non è possibile a lingua umana a contare la oribile cosa, che ben si può dire beato a chi tanta oribiltà non vidde. E morivano quasi di subito, e infiavano sotto il ditello e l'anguinaia e favellando cadevano morti. El padre abandonava el figluolo, la moglie el marito, e l'uno fratello l'altro: e gnuno fugiva e abandonava l'uno, inperochè questo morbo s'attachava coll'alito e co' la vista pareva, e così morivano, e non si trovava chi soppellisse nè per denaro nè per amicitia, e quelli de la casa propria li portava meglio che potea a la fossa senza prete, nè uffitio alcuno, nè si sonava canpana; e in molti luoghi in Siena si fe' grandi fosse e cupe per la moltitudine de' morti, e morivano a centinaia il dì e la notte, e ognuno [si] gittava in quelle fosse e cuprivano a suolo a suolo, e così tanto che s'enpivano le dette fosse, e poi facevano più fosse.	Mortality began in Siena in May, which was a horrible and cruel thing, and I don't know where to begin with the cruelty that it was and the dispiatable ways, that almost to everyone it seemed that they became stupefied with grief at the sight; and it is not possible for human language to count the horrible thing, that one can well say blessed to those who did not see such oribilty. And they died almost at once, and infirmed under the finger and the eel, and speaking they fell dead. The father abandons his son, the wife her husband, and one brother the other: And each one fled and abandonned the other, because this disease was attacked by breath and sight, it seemed, and so they died, and there was no one to be found who would kill them either for money or for friendship, and those of their own house took them as best they could to the grave without a priest, nor any office, nor were they singing canpas; And in many places in Siena large and dark pits were made for the multitude of the dead, and they died by the hundreds day and night, and each one [was] thrown into those pits and they were buried floor to floor, and so much so that the said pits were filled in, and then they made more pits.	Agnolo di Tura del Grasso 1939, p. 555.	Translation by DeepL
1417-00-00-Novgorod	1417 JL	A fearful plague among the people in Novgorod, and in Ladoga, in Russa, Porkhov, Pskov, Tver, Dmitrov, and in Torzhok, and throughout their districts and villages	В то же лѣто и зиму [6925] <a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a> бѣ моръ страшенъ в Новѣгородѣ на людех, и в Ладозѣ, и в Русѣ, и в Порховѣ, и во Пьсковѣ, и въ Торжьку, и въ Дмитровѣ, и во Тфѣри, и по властемъ и по погостомъ. И како могу сказати ту бѣду страшную и грозную, бывшюю в весь моръ; кака туга живым по мертвыхъ, понеже умножишася умерших въ градѣх и селех, тѣм же едва успѣваху живии мертвых опрятывати, на всякъ день умираху толко, яко не успѣваху погрѣбати их, а дворовъ много затвориша безъ людии. Преже яко рогатынею ударить и явится железа, или начнет кровию хракати и потомь дрожь имет и огнь ражьжет по всѣмъ уставам человѣческымъ естественым, и недуг походит; и в то болѣзни мнози, лежавъ, изомроша<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a>. Мнозѣх же крестиянъ богъ помилова своею милостию: отъидоша житья сего въ аггельском чину, от архиереи маслом мазавшимся; и два посадника преставистася в том же чину: Иванъ Олександрович, Борисъ Васильевич. А владыка Семеонъ съ всею седмию сборовъ и съ крестианы, со кресты обходи около всего великаго Новагорода, молися богу и пречистѣи его матери о престатьи гнѣва божиа.	The same summer and winter [6925] there was a fearful plague among the people in Novgorod, and in Ladoga, in Russa, Porkhov, Pskov, Tver, Dmitrov, and in Torzhok, and throughout their districts and villages. And how can I relate the fearful and terrible misery that there was during the whole plague ? What grief the living had for the dead, for the deaths increased so in towns and villages that the living had barely time to make the dead tidy for burial; so many died every day, that they had not time to bury them; and many houses were closed unoccupied. First of all it would hit one as if with a lance, choking, and then a swelhng would appear, or spitting of blood with shivering, and fire would burn one in all the joints of the body; and then the illness would overwhelm one; and many after lying in that illness died. But to many Christians God was merciful : they left this life entering the angelic order after receiving holy unction from the Vladyka. And two Posadniks died in the same order: Ivan Olexandrovich and Boris Vasilievich. And Vladyka Simeon with all the seven congregations, with the Christians and with crosses went round the whole of Great Novgorod, praying God and His Immaculate Mother to withhold the wrath of God ; and the Christians on horseback and afoot drew logs from the forest and built a church to St. Anastasia which was consecrated the same day by the Vladyka Simeon who performed a holy liturgy ; with the remainder of the logs, they erected a church to St. Ilya in Prussian Street. And the people of Novi-torg put up a church to St. Afanasi likewise in a single day, and performed a liturgy.	Новгородская первая летопись младшего изводa (Комиссионный список), in: Полное Cобрание Pусских Летописей, т. III, Mocвa: Языки Pyccкoй Kyльтypы, 2000, c. 408.	None
1417-00-00-Novgorod and others	1417 JL	A fearful plague among the people in Novgorod, and in Ladoga, in Russa, Porkhov, Pskov, Tver, Dmitrov, and in Torzhok, and throughout their districts and villages	В то же лѣто и зиму [6925] <a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a> бѣ моръ страшенъ в Новѣгородѣ на людех, и в Ладозѣ, и в Русѣ, и в Порховѣ, и во Пьсковѣ, и въ Торжьку, и въ Дмитровѣ, и во Тфѣри, и по властемъ и по погостомъ. И како могу сказати ту бѣду страшную и грозную, бывшюю в весь моръ; кака туга живым по мертвыхъ, понеже умножишася умерших въ градѣх и селех, тѣм же едва успѣваху живии мертвых опрятывати, на всякъ день умираху толко, яко не успѣваху погрѣбати их, а дворовъ много затвориша безъ людии. Преже яко рогатынею ударить и явится железа, или начнет кровию хракати и потомь дрожь имет и огнь ражьжет по всѣмъ уставам человѣческымъ естественым, и недуг походит; и в то болѣзни мнози, лежавъ, изомроша<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a>. Мнозѣх же крестиянъ богъ помилова своею милостию: отъидоша житья сего въ аггельском чину, от архиереи маслом мазавшимся; и два посадника преставистася в том же чину: Иванъ Олександрович, Борисъ Васильевич. А владыка Семеонъ съ всею седмию сборовъ и съ крестианы, со кресты обходи около всего великаго Новагорода, молися богу и пречистѣи его матери о престатьи гнѣва божиа.	The same summer and winter [6925] there was a fearful plague among the people in Novgorod, and in Ladoga, in Russa, Porkhov, Pskov, Tver, Dmitrov, and in Torzhok, and throughout their districts and villages. And how can I relate the fearful and terrible misery that there was during the whole plague ? What grief the living had for the dead, for the deaths increased so in towns and villages that the living had barely time to make the dead tidy for burial; so many died every day, that they had not time to bury them; and many houses were closed unoccupied. First of all it would hit one as if with a lance, choking, and then a swelhng would appear, or spitting of blood with shivering, and fire would burn one in all the joints of the body; and then the illness would overwhelm one; and many after lying in that illness died. But to many Christians God was merciful : they left this life entering the angelic order after receiving holy unction from the Vladyka. And two Posadniks died in the same order: Ivan Olexandrovich and Boris Vasilievich. And Vladyka Simeon with all the seven congregations, with the Christians and with crosses went round the whole of Great Novgorod, praying God and His Immaculate Mother to withhold the wrath of God ; and the Christians on horseback and afoot drew logs from the forest and built a church to St. Anastasia which was consecrated the same day by the Vladyka Simeon who performed a holy liturgy ; with the remainder of the logs, they erected a church to St. Ilya in Prussian Street. And the people of Novi-torg put up a church to St. Afanasi likewise in a single day, and performed a liturgy.	Новгородская первая летопись младшего изводa (Комиссионный список), in: Полное Cобрание Pусских Летописей, т. III, Mocвa: Языки Pyccкoй Kyльтypы, 2000, c. 408.	None
1467-08-00-Poland	August 1467 JL	Although the harvest promised to be rich in the land of Prussia, there was hardly anyone who could bring it in when the harvest was supposed to start in August. A great plague had infested the land so that all places were to large parts or completely deserted.	Das erste jar do nu der libe fride nach vilen und langen jaren wider ins lant Preussen kommen was, lis got gar ein fruchtbar kornreich jar werden, desgleichen lange zceit keins war gewesen, das es jederman davor hielt, diser milde und reiche herbest wurde fast allen kommer der vorgangenen durfftigkeit zcum mehrer teil auffheben und wegknemen. [...] Da man nu augusten adir erndten solt, sihe, da kompt eine erschreckliche mortliche pestilentz, die sich ins gantze lant die qwyr und die lenge, ausbreittet und durchwütet schlosse, stette, flecke, dorffer, ecker und awen, dermassen das hernachmals der viele, etliche zcum grossen teyll, etliche gantz und gar ausgestorben, verfallen vorwustet und vorwildert sein, bis auff den heuttigen tag, wie das im gantzen lande augenschenlich zcu besehen ist; also da das volck an allen enden mit grossen hauffen hingefallen was, bleib das libe getreide, daran got sein lust het sehen mugen, hin und her im felde stehen, und was niemant, der erndtet, und einfuret.	The first year, when after many and long years peace had come back to the land of Prussia, God let it become a fruitful corn year, such as had not been for a long time, so that everytbody thought, this mild and rich harvest was going to take away almost all the grief of the previous drought. [...] Now, when the harvest should start in August, there comes a terrible mortal pestilence, which spreads throughout the whole country, spreading and ransacking castles, towns, villages, fields and floodplains, so that afterwards many of them were - some to a great extent, some completely - extinct, forfeited and overgrown up tp the present day, as can be seen in the whole country. Thus, since the people at all ends fell to build great heaps, the good grain, in which God would have seen his pleasure, remained standing back and forth in the field, and there was no one to harvest and bring it in.	Pole, in: ###, p. 192.	Translation by Christian Oertel

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