1355-08-00-Cyprus
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| Date startStart date of the disease. | 1355-08 | + |
| Date endEnd date of the disease. | + | |
| SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter) | ||
| Date otherOther mentioned dates. | ||
| PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease. | Tunis | |
| RegionHistorical region(s) | ||
| CountryCurrent country | Cyprus | |
| RiverMentioned river(s) | ||
| Natural eventMentioned natural event(s) | ||
| PersonMentioned persons(s) | ||
| GroupGroup(s) of people mentioned | Saracens | |
| VictimIndication of victims | + | |
| AnimalMentioned animal(s) | Locust | |
| DiseaseMentioned disease(s) | Plague | |
| Epidemic waveAssociated epidemic wave | ||
| Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease | ||
| LanguageLanguage of the original text | Italian | |
| KeywordFurther keyword(s) | Crops, Epidemics, Famine, Fruit, Harvest, Mortality | |
| last edited | 9. 01. 2026 by EpiMedDat-Bot. |
In Cyprus and Tunis and surroundings were great abundance of locusts, which destroyed the harvest and the fields. It followed a famine and a mortality among the people.
Text originalOriginal text
Come abondarono grilli in Cipri e 'n Barberia
In questo tempo abbondarono nell'isola di Cipri tanti grilli, che rimpierono tutti i campi alti da terra un quarto di braccio, e consumarono ciò che verde trovarono sopra la terra, e guastarono i lavori per modo che frutto no se ne poté avere in quest'anno. E 'l simigliante avenne questo medesimo anno MCCCLV i molte parti della Barberia, e massimamente nel reame di Tunisi; ed essendo mancato il pane al minuto popolo di Barberia, metteno i grilli ne'forni, e cotti alquanto incrosticati li mangiavano i Saracini, e con questa brutta vivanda mantenieno la misera vita, ma grande mortalità seguitò di quello popolo.
Text translationEnglish translation of the text
How crickets were abundant in Cyprus and in Barbaria
At that time there were so many crickets on the island of Cyprus that they covered all the fields up to the height of a quarter of an arm and consumed all the greenery they found on the ground. They destroyed the crops to such an extent that no fruit could be harvested that year. Something similar happened in the same year, 1355, in many parts of Barbaria, especially in the kingdom of Tunis. As bread became scarce for the common people of Barbarie, they put the crickets in ovens, and after they were baked and crusted, the Saracens ate them. With this unappetising food they maintained their miserable lives, but great mortality followed among this people.
