I do, I get it. The need to find historical lessons during this time - but this link between the plague of Athens in 430-427/6 B.C., the defeat in the FOLLOWING war in 404 B.C., and the dismantling of Athenian democracy is getting on my nerves 1/12 https://twitter.com/PostOpinions/status/1250106948814503936

The plague came during the Archidamian War (431-421 B.C.). A war Athens dominated at sea, and in the wider Greek world, but allowed Sparta to do its one strategy - annual raids of Attica (lands around Athens) before returning home after a few weeks. 2/12

Thucydides (2.57) tells us that the Spartans raided for short periods in part so they did not catch the plague which killed approx. 4,400 hoplites, 300 cavalry, and unknown numbers of other in the ranks. Athenian field strength was approx. 13,000 hoplites so this is a lot.3/12

Athens, during this time, continues its ravaging of the Peloponnesian coastline, completes its long 2 yr siege of Potidaea in the north, controls its empire, and succesfully defeats the Spartans in Spartan land at Pylos/Sphacteria in 425 B.C. 4/12

With Spartan prisoners being held, and Spartan desire for war subsiding, they ask the Athenians for peace. They are refused! Athens goes on the offensive, and plan attacks of Corinthian territory, and then Theban territory. 5/12

In 424 they put 7,000 hoplites into the field at Delium where they are defeated, losing 1000 men. But still, they continue with the war. After losing their control of Amphipolis in 422, Athens finally negotiates the end of the war in 422/1. 6/12

The next 'part' of the Peloponnesian War, the Decelaean War, begins again 8yrs later in 413 - following a failed Athenian military expedition against Syracuse in Sicily, having a new generation to fill their ranks. This is the war they then lose in 404 B.C. 7/12

So, the plague effected Athenian strategy and hit its military strength - yes, but it did not cause Athens to lose the war. They were bloody winning the Archidamian War until they made a few too many strategic errors. 8/12

As for the loss of democracy - this refers to the installment of an oligarchy in Athens following their defeat in 404 B.C. and ignores two things. 9/12

1. Athens had voluntarily given up democracy before this in 411 B.C., something it actually voted for, and then undid quickly when they realised they were tricked into it. So we cannot just point to the plague for this one. 10/12

2. The oligarchy established by the Spartans in 404 did not survive two years before a civil war was fought and democracy re-established in 403. So the plague did not bring an end to democracy in Athens. 11/12

tl;dr The plague did not cause Athens to lose the Peloponnesian War, and it did not bring an end to democracy either. 12/end