Greek Diaspora History
The Plague of Athens
The Plague of Athens – The Plague that Killed the Athenians
The plague of Athens was one of a number of epidemics that has swept through Greece since antiquity. The plague killed many Athenians in 430 B.C., during the second year of the Peloponnesian War (between Athens and Sparta).
After initially subsiding, the plague of Athens returned twice – once in 429 B.C. and once in 427 B.C., not entirely dissipating until 426 B.C. In the end, the plague played a leading factor in the defeat of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
Thucydides and the plague of Athens summary
Thucydides was an Athenian general and historian who recorded the events of the plague of Athens. In his accounts, Thucydides describes the symptoms of the plague, how rapidly it spread, and how deadly it was. What is interesting about Thucydides’ accounts though is that he not only records the epidemic from a medical perspective, but also from a social one. He analyses how people responded to the plague – their selfishness and apathy. Thucydides also mentions how terrible it was to see how people who fell ill lost all hope for survival, almost as if they accepted their fate without resistance. He even caught the plague himself, but miraculously survived!
Thucydides’ accounts of the plague of Athens that have survived are recorded in his work History of the Peloponnesian War, which is considered one of the greatest pieces of literature from ancient Greece. Sophocles also has the plague as the centerpiece of his play Oedipus the King.
Despite Thucydides’ careful description in his accounts, scholars and physicians have begun to debate whether the plague of Athens was really a plague.
What caused the plague of Athens?
The cause of the plague of Athens has been and continues to be debated to this day. Theories about the cause of the plague include influenza, typhus, typhoid, bubonic plague, smallpox, and measles.
After reviewing the symptoms described in Thucydides’ accounts, many scholars and physicians concluded that the plague of Athens was most likely caused by typhus, smallpox or measles. However, with the development of recent methods such as forensic anthropology, demography, epidemiology, and paleopathology (including DNA testing); we will likely see a more accurate diagnosis of the plague of Athens come to light.
The plague of Athens death toll
The plague of Athens death toll is estimated to have reached 75,000 to 100,000. To put this into perspective, the population of Athens at the time was about 300,000 to 400,000, so the plague claimed approximately 25% of the city’s population.
Pericles’ death and contribution to the plague
Pericles, born in 495 B.C., was a Greek statesman, orator, and general who led Athens during its golden age. Two major events coincide with the beginning and end of Pericles’ rule – the Persian and Peloponnesian wars respectively. He is considered as one of the greatest politicians and leaders of ancient times.
As a result of Sparta’s superiority on land during the Peloponnesian wars, Pericles ordered the retreat of Athenians into the city walls of Athens. The idea behind this was to keep its citizens safe while exploiting its naval superiority over Sparta. Unfortunately, when the plague reached Athens, this meant that with a large amount of people in the confined space of the city walls, it spread rapidly.
In 429 B.C. Pericles witnessed both his legitimate sons from his first wife, Paralus and Xanthippus fall fatally ill with the plague. Later that year, Pericles himself also died of the plague.
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