"4 Venette, however, debunks the idea that the Jews were the ones who caused the plague. He states that even if it were true that the Jews poisoned the wells, it wouldn't have been enough to wipe out most of Eurasia. During this time, many assumptions were made but no one fully knew or understood what was happening because no advancements in the medical field could explain the cause or how to stop it. Even though Craig and Marks both agree that the plague started among the rats, each give a different approach as to how the disease spread and where the rats came from. Craig states that the rats came from "areas around the Black Sea" and that the disease "entered Europe through the port cities of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa in 1347."5 The Marks text goes more into detail and states the Mongols propelled the disease when they decided to besiege Caffa-"the link between the trans-Eurasian trade routes."6 Once Caffa became infested with the disease, the Italian merchants carried it back to Italy. Once the disease spread throughout Italy, it was not long until the rest of Eurasia became infected as well. The trade routes linked all of Eurasia and that was the main reason the plague spread so quickly and had such an impact on so many people. The trade routes made it so easy for the disease to spread and be passed on from city to city and from village to village. The plague spread like wildfire and became more dangerous and deadly day after day. Overall, Craig and Marks are similar in context because both discuss the rats and the importance of the trade routes whereas Venette does not because he had no idea what caused or started this epidemic. He could only make assumptions during his time. .
The aftermath of the plague left Eurasia devastated but also prosperous in the long run. According to Marks, "the population of Europe plummeted from 80 to 60 million in just a few years.