As the residents of Europe went about their daily lives during the mid-14th century, they had no knowledge of the fate to which they would succumb. Twelve Genoese merchant ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after venturing across the Black Sea. Those waiting for the sailors at the dock believed all was well. However, they were proven wrong (“Death Star”). Not only did ships transport goods; with it they brought a silent plague. This plague had already taken the lives of many people on ships, and then left those who remained seriously ill. Not only did they exhibit delirium and excessive vomiting, but the sailors also had mysterious black boils enveloping their bodies. Those boils oozed a black, odorous pus. The Sicilian authorities ordered the ships to leave the port immediately; however, it was too late (“Death Star”). That was just the beginning of a deadly chain of infection. Around the year 1347, this unique disease struck Europe. It is known as the Death Star. In addition to the cost in human lives, it brought with it the incentive to reform religion and structure. It also caused a psychological response which, in turn, caused the first holocaust. How exactly did a microscopic pathogen cause such reformation and other effects on medieval life? From a structural point of view, the Black Death contributed to the weakening of the feudal system. Before the Black Death entered Europe, the nobility could count on loyal vassals and peasants (Law 47). These vassals and peasants were required to work a predetermined number of days per year on the lord's land in exchange for their own labor. They had to use supplies and roads owned by their...... middle of paper ......, the microscopic pathogen hit Europe with enormous force and had a huge impact that lasted. Who would have thought that something so small could do that? Works Cited Bill, Timothy Levi. The Black Death. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc. 1989. Print."Death Star." History.com. A&E and Web television networks. April 1, 2014."Feudalism." Feudalism. Np, nd Web. 01 April 2014.Giblin, James Cross. When the plague strikes: the Black Death, smallpox, AIDS. New York, NY: Harpercollins Publishers, 1995. Print.Marks, Geoffrey. The Medieval Plague: The Black Death of the Middle Ages. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1971. Print.Routt, David. “The Economic Impact of the Black Death.” EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. 04 February 2010. Web. 13 March 2014. Ziegler, Phillip. The Black Death. UK: Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, 1991. Print.