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A thread on the plague which gripped ancient Athens in the 430 BCE during the course of the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta.
The Peloponnesian war which was fought between a powerful navy and what was one of the most dominant infantry forces in history not only
The Peloponnesian war which was fought between a powerful navy and what was one of the most dominant infantry forces in history not only
lasted for a long time but brought about untold suffering for the Hellas. It was a war in which not just many cities were destroyed by the foreign armies, but also by the Hellenic forces themselves. There was much loss of life, both in the war and on account of internal
revolutions, and many exiles. Wide areas were rocked by violent earthquakes, there were more eclipses of the sun recorded during this period than ever before in the past. The country was struck by drought and subsequently by famine. And then the most devastating development of
all which wrought more harm, and destroyed more lives than any other occurrence - the plague.
Thucydides who left an eyewitness account of the time served as a general in the Athenian army till he was exiled for his failure to save the important Athenian colony of Amphipolis.
Thucydides who left an eyewitness account of the time served as a general in the Athenian army till he was exiled for his failure to save the important Athenian colony of Amphipolis.
Having suffered the disease himself (and subsequently cured) his is a vivid record of the miseries which his fellow Athenians endured, of symptoms, the knowledge which he thought would be useful should an outbreak were to occur in the future.
The plague originated in Ethiopia from where it spread into Egypt, Libya and much of the Persian territories. When it first made an appearance in Athens it was suspected the Peloponnesians had poisoned the reservoirs, but its effects soon started being felt in other parts of the
region. There had been reports earlier of the plague affecting many other places in the neighbourhood, but nowhere had the disease been so virulent and devastating as in Athens. Because of the unfamiliar nature of the disease doctors were at a loss on how to treat it.
As the men of medicine came in greater and more frequent contact with the sick the mortality rate too was higher among them. As the sufferings increased and prayers went unanswered people’s faith got shaken too with many altogether indifferent or despairing of things which
had been once given them solace.
Athens owed to the plague the beginnings of a state of unprecedented lawlessness too. Since money and life seemed equally ephemeral self indulgence became the norm for people. As for what is honour no one was willing to abide by its rules
Athens owed to the plague the beginnings of a state of unprecedented lawlessness too. Since money and life seemed equally ephemeral self indulgence became the norm for people. As for what is honour no one was willing to abide by its rules
not sure if they’d be alive to enjoy having a good reputation. It was generally agreed that what was both honourable and valuable was the pleas of the moment. No fear of god or law of man had a restraining influence. No one expected to live long enough to be brought to trial and
punished.
People felt that they’d already been handed a far severe sentence and so before the time of its execution arrived they should extract whatever they could by way of pleas from life.
People felt that they’d already been handed a far severe sentence and so before the time of its execution arrived they should extract whatever they could by way of pleas from life.
A strange phenomenon observed by Thucydides during the occurrence of the plague was the complete absence or rather the disappearance of the birds of prey and animals who were normally seen scavenging bodies. The rare which did come near perished soon afterwards.
Meanwhile during the period of the plague there was no serious outbreak of any other serious disease. If any cases did come to the notice of the health workers they all got consumed in the ferocity of the plague even where utmost care was provided to such patients.
As for a recognised method of treatment, there was none. What proved a success on some patients, was harmful on others. Those with strong constitutions were as vulnerable as the weak in resisting the disease.
The ones most caring of the sick and the perishing were those who’d
The ones most caring of the sick and the perishing were those who’d
recovered from the disease themselves. They knew what the sick were suffering having experienced it themselves and at the same time felt safe in their presence for no one contracted the infection twice, and even if they did it wasn’t fatal. Such people were congratulated all
around on their recovery and were so jubilant at having survived that they felt invincible at the prospect of any new sickness surfacing in future.
When the second Peloponnesian war broke out Pericles the Greek statesman and general was in command of the Athenian forces.
It was Pericles who’d led Athens to her greatest, it was under him that she flourished and enjoyed what is known as the Golden Age or the Age of Pericles.
It was Pericles who’d led Athens to her greatest, it was under him that she flourished and enjoyed what is known as the Golden Age or the Age of Pericles.
But the times which Athens was passing through were too difficult and harsh for a statesman of the stature of Pericles to succeed in assuaging the fears of the people. The suffering caused by the outbreak triggered a new wave of public uproar, and Pericles was forced to defend
himself in an emotional final speech considered to be a monumental oration, revealing Pericles' virtues but also his bitterness towards his compatriots' ingratitude.
Pericles attempted to stop the Athenians from be angry with him and to guide their thoughts away from their
Pericles attempted to stop the Athenians from be angry with him and to guide their thoughts away from their
immediate sufferings. As far as public policy was concerned they accepted his arguments agreeing to send no more embassies to Sparta and carrying on the war efforts with renewed vigour yet as private individuals they could not ignore their misfortunes. The mass of the people had
had little enough to start with and because of the calamitous events had been deprived of even that. The richer section was as unforgiving having lost much of its wealth and prosperity and the worst that they had to live through a war than in peace. Such mass sentiments against
Pericles persisted till they extracted a fine from him.
Not long afterwards as is the nature of crowds they re-elected him to the generalship and put all their affairs in his hands. By this time they had started to feel less acutely their sufferings and had realised that
Not long afterwards as is the nature of crowds they re-elected him to the generalship and put all their affairs in his hands. By this time they had started to feel less acutely their sufferings and had realised that
Pericles was the best among them to lead in matters of public administration and policy.
But his stewardship of Athens, of his people was short lived. Two years and some months into the war he succumbed to the deadly disease like many of his family members, including
But his stewardship of Athens, of his people was short lived. Two years and some months into the war he succumbed to the deadly disease like many of his family members, including
his sons. A tragedy which had left him broken and inconsolable. Here was a man who despite all his glories and public admiration had been vanquished by his own personal anguish.
Before his demise Pericles amended a law of succession which he’d himself authored in order that the
Before his demise Pericles amended a law of succession which he’d himself authored in order that the
name and lineage of his house might not altogether expire through lack of descendants. The earlier law penned by Pericles had ordained that only legitimate sons of Athenian couples be recognised as true heirs. Because of the plague he was left with a son who was born out of
wedlock and so unless the law was amended had no right to carry on his father’s name.
The loss of Pericles was the deathly blow from which Athens could never recover to be able to restore its past magnificence. His successors never lived up to Pericles' ideal leadership and
The loss of Pericles was the deathly blow from which Athens could never recover to be able to restore its past magnificence. His successors never lived up to Pericles' ideal leadership and
Athens suffered accordingly.
Although Thucydides admired and supported Pericles, there is no reason to conclude that his claims are simply a form of bias. History bears out Thucydides’ view that with the death of Pericles, Athens fell into an intellectual, cultural, and
Although Thucydides admired and supported Pericles, there is no reason to conclude that his claims are simply a form of bias. History bears out Thucydides’ view that with the death of Pericles, Athens fell into an intellectual, cultural, and
spiritual darkness which the Athenians would struggle with over the next 30 years, culminating in the execution of Socrates in 399 BCE.
Thucydides delves into the many weaknesses of human nature, Greek society and governance which the disease was able to exploit. From crowding in Athens, inadequate housing and sanitation which accelerated the spread of the disease to behavioural changes in the face of the
epidemic which led them onto a path of moral and spiritual degradation.
“In the panic of the Great Plague, Athenians had experienced something about their world they could never purge and revealed something about themselves they could never forget. Gone were the days when they
“In the panic of the Great Plague, Athenians had experienced something about their world they could never purge and revealed something about themselves they could never forget. Gone were the days when they
could comfortably see themselves in the words Pericles spoke in his famed funeral oration at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, before the Plague carried him off to a less-than-glorious death: “We are not suspicious of one another … a spirit of reverence pervades our
public acts; we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws.”
The quoted part from https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/great-plague-athens-has-eerie-parallels-today/608545/
The quoted part from https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/great-plague-athens-has-eerie-parallels-today/608545/
For nearly 2500 years, historians and scholars have attempted to identify exactly what disease swept Athens resulting in so many deaths relying on the details of the symptoms which Thucydides left. But till date there’s been no consensus on the kind of disease which left
destruction of such magnitude in its wake.
“The outbreak in Athens remains a mystery. Among the many suggestions - Ebola, typhoid, smallpox, measles, bubonic plague, cholera, influenza, ergot poisoning and a host of animal disease” https://www.ancient.eu/article/939/the-plague-at-athens-430-427-bce/
The references :
Thucydides History of Peloponnesian War
Plutarch’s Pericles
Pericles and the Golden Age of Athens
The life of Greece
Greek City States
Thucydides History of Peloponnesian War
Plutarch’s Pericles
Pericles and the Golden Age of Athens
The life of Greece
Greek City States
