During the Fourteenth Century, throughout all of Europe, but particularly in Italy, France, Germany and Spain, the Black Death raged mercilessly. It ravaged towns, cities, and villages. People often sought the relative safety of the countryside, thinking that perhaps their chances of survival were improved by minimizing contact with large numbers of people. Boccaccio's Decameron recounts the tales and adventures of a group of such persons who sought the protection of the countryside in Northern Italy, not far from Florence, during these turbulent and uncertain times.

Boccaccio's account begins with a lengthy and long-winded introduction in which he claims, among other things, that the end of evil always results in comparative joy, thus setting a tone of guarded optimism regarding the terrible events which have befallen Europe. He explains that he intends to describe the effects that the plague had on entire segments of society, throwing into chaos social order as it had previously existed. In the assigned selection, Boccaccio's description of the pestilence which destroyed the tranquil beauty, equilibrium and order of his city, Florence, and, by extension, other areas of Europe, is realistic and verifiably accurate. It begins with an almost scientific account of the symptoms of the disease, and provides considerable insight into the on-going progress of bubonic plague in all of its stages. He recounts how people fell ill and died, within days, of large pustules and globular growths eventually covering their entire bodies. The horror of such a death is vividly and fearfully explained in Boccaccio's text, making it one of the best sources for a general overview of the Year 1348 still available.

Understandably, as is true of all Medieval and most Renaissance Literature, many references to God and God's Will appear sporadically throughout this analysis. Boccaccio alludes to the irony of all the supplications and requests made to God which went unanswered. People died in churches, just as they died at home or in public parks and market places. Firstly, the horror of their deaths and, secondly, the effect of massive gaps in the social structure form the foundation of The Decameron. Indeed, all citizens of most of Europe's greatest nations were adversely affected by the chaos which erupted. Children wandered without supervision and major social institutions collapsed under impossible burdens, as corpses piled higher and higher, and burials became an hourly occurrence.

Because there is a tone of compassion that pervades Boccaccio's account, and because he goes to great lengths to record details and reactions to this unprecedented social calamity, the text he bequeathed to us seems an accurate and convincing portrayal of events as they occurred. Boccaccio resided in Florence during this period and witnessed first-hand the decimation of the plague. He was also in an excellent position to obtain information from reliable sources, and, in fact, he alludes to the gradual progress of this disease that began in Eastern Europe and moved Westward, taking with it major portions of all social strata.

My personal estimation of Boccaccio's account would have to include the recognition that it is a fascinating record of these somber events. It sheds light on shifting beliefs among people concerning their Faith in God and describes, directly and indirectly, the ways in which people confronted the terrible reality of an incurable pestilence in their midst. Many panicked and others prayed. Neither solution was adequate, of course, and little attention was given to the actual causes of the disease, although some realistic measures were taken, such as refuse removal and blockage of stricken victims from entering cities and towns. Death along the highways and byways of 14th Century Europe was a decidedly unpleasant experience, in my estimation and in Boccaccio's.