The Black Death: A Global Apocalypse?

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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