
The Black Death: A Global Apocalypse?
From Gone Medieval by History Hit
June 5, 2026 · 1h 1m · Episode 532
About this episode
The episode explores the global impact of the Black Death and its transformation of medieval society.
A plague of terrifying speed, mysterious symptoms and global reach, the Black Death transformed more than Europe alone. Matt Lewis is joined by Thomas Asbridge to chart the medieval spread, from Caffa’s siege lines to Cairo’s crowded streets, from brutal medical experiments to self-flagellating penitents and a medieval world shaken to its core. MORE How To Survive Plague and War in the Middle Ages Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Leprosy in the Middle Ages Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, early access and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Matt Lewis
Guest: Thomas Asbridge
Topics covered
- Black Death
- medieval history
- plague
- global impact
- medical experiments
- self-flagellation
Keywords
- Black Death
- plague
- medieval
- Caffa
- Cairo
- medical experiments
- self-flagellation
- history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: History Hit
Places: Caffa, Cairo
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