by Melissa Snell

It was a horrible pandemic that killed millions, initiated economic instability, and set the stage for acts of great cruelty, kindness and the bizarre. No one really understood what it was or how it had been caused, so people prayed, sought answers in the mystical, tried extreme acts of penitence or struck out in fear. It touched virtually every soul in Europe from the far reaches of ice-laden Norway to the sun-drenched hills of Italy.

It was the infamous Black Death of the fourteenth century.

What do you know about this horrific plague? Here is a 15-question quiz to test your knowledge of the disease, its arrival in Europe, and the events it triggered.

Many of the answers can be found in related resources at this site, especially The Great Mortality and Death Defined, so you may wish to check those out before challenging yourself here.

What's so diabolical about this quiz? Although there are only 15 questions, you cannot get from one to the next without choosing a correct answer. But don't despair! You get as many chances as you need to guess correctly; so, even if you lack the esoteric knowledge, perseverance will prevail.

Good luck!

Begin the Quiz

The Diabolical Black Death Quiz is copyright © 2003-05 Melissa Snell. Permission is granted to duplicate this quiz for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to reproduce this quiz on another website.

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