The Black Death: the historians’ view

Two women do the ‘dance of death’ in a 15th‑century woodcut.
“The grim reaper of the plague stalked Europe for centuries, breaking out like earthquakes, unheralded and randomly,” says Professor Tom James.


Franciscans treat plague victims in an Italian illustration from c1474.
Religious guilds proliferated in the wake of the Black Death, offering care both to the afflicted and to lonely, destitute survivors.


People flee London during the Great Plague of 1665 in a contemporary illustration. That same year, the disease killed 260 out of 350 residents of the Derbyshire village of Eyam.

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Clothes infected by the Black Death being burnt. c. 1340.

A Venetian plague doctor c 1800

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Camilla, Queen of the Silver Arrow

Baby Camilla is tied to a spear and lobbed by her father across a raging torrent.

In the heavens, Diana, the goddess of the hunt, talks to another goddess named Opis. Diana describes her love for Camilla, and recounts Camilla's life story. Camilla's father Metabus, a tyrannical king, had to flee when his people revolted. He took baby Camilla with him, but when he had to cross a dangerous river, he didn't know how he would carry her. So he tied her to a spear and, with a prayer to Diana, threw her across. Camilla landed safely on the other side, where Metabus joined her. He lovingly raised her in the wilderness and she became an incredible hunter.

Now a grown woman, the omens suggest a bad fate for Camilla in a battle, Diana sends Opis down with a bow, to kill the man who will kill Camilla. The battle begins and various men die. In the middle of the scene of carnage, Camilla appears, with one breast bare, a brilliant and untiring fighter, and accompanied by other virgin warriors. Camilla kills multiple men with single arrows, and even slays Butes, the biggest Trojan. She mocks the Tuscans for being afraid of a woman. Tarchon, the Tuscan king, tries and fails to kill her.

Arruns, another soldier, begins his attack on Camilla. He is dressed in particularly gorgeous, highly colored armor. Camilla pursues him, wanting his armor for herself, "afire with a woman's lust for loot and plunder," and lets her guard down. Arruns, preparing to kill her, prays to Apollo that if he can kill her he'll stop fighting and return home. Apollo grants half the prayer, and Arruns spears Camilla.

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Virgil claimed that Camilla once ran so swiftly she could run over a field of wheat without breaking the tops of the plants or across the seas without wetting her feet.

‘Camillia at War’ - Giacomo del Po (Italy, 1652-1726),

Mechanical Art at the Hermitage in Russia

Фильм рассказывает о находящихся в собрании Эрмитажа произведениях механического искусства.

The film shows Hermitage works of mechanical art. It is in Russian - I muted it except to hear if certain machines have sound. Be patient - it starts with little movement but later there will be enough charming machines to make you smile.

Grey Hills - Georgia O'Keeffe