The Athenian Plague: 430 BC - 426 BC (part 1)

Since the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) loomed with the deterioration of the Cold War between Athens and the Lacedaemonia (Sparta), the ancient oracle was said to warn Athens and inspire the Lacedaemonia: “The Dorian war will come and death will come with it .. . ”When God was asked if they should (the Lacedaemonia) go to war, he replied that“ if they put their power in it, victory will be theirs ... ” [1] At that time, Athens was in its golden age (479-431 BC) under the enlightened leadership of Pericles (495-429 BC), who introduced the first form of democracy in a world in which individual law, literature and art

According to Thucydides (460–400 BC), the Athenian general, political critic and historian, enthusiasm and support for the Peloponnesian war among the Athenians “were high” when the conflict broke out. Many, especially the young, "saw it as an adventure and a potential source of profit." [2] However, support and enthusiasm for the war quickly subsided when Athens suffered disasters (the Peloponnesians, led by the Lacedaemonia, invaded Attica, doing some of the “worst destruction” [3] ) and the plague that destroyed most of the city’s population.

Since the countryside of Attica was captured in April 430 BC, the Athenians, following Pericles, instructions - "bringing all people ... into the city" [4] hid in "parts ... that were not built in the temples and chapels of the heroes ... and in other places that were always closed," including the Pelas citadel (south of the Acropolis), where the residence "was hidden ... The Pythian oracle that [read]: Leaving the Pelassian promise of the desert, Woe is worth what [5] The countryside of Attica was left in the path of the destruction of the Lacedaemons, the purpose of which was “not just [Athenian] corn and fruit, but even vegetables in the garden near the city, [which] were rooted and destroyed " [6] ] since the Athenians relied entirely on the supremacy of their fleet to provide "food and other necessities." [7] As crowds packed in Athens are confined, the currently existing “sanitation and drainage” infrastructure cannot accommodate the bloated population, creating “terrifying” conditions [8] on top left after 431-430 BC in winter, as described by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (90-30 BC): [9]

As a result of heavy rains ... the land became saturated with water, and many low-lying regions, having received a huge amount of water, turned into shallow pools and kept stagnant water, like swampy areas; and when these waters got warm in the summer and a great rotten, thick foul [vapors] were formed, which, rising in the gases, corrected the surrounding air, the very thing that can be seen, occurring on the marshy soils, which by their nature are pestovent.

In addition, the Athenians' immune system was also compromised due to the lack of quality food in the city. “The contribution to the disease was the poor nature of the products available, since the harvests that were raised this year were similar to watery, and their natural quality was corrupt,” Diodorus Sicul said. In short, the situation was optimal for an outbreak of a deadly epidemic.

"Not a few days after [the arrival of the Peloponnesians] in Attica, the plague ... began to manifest itself among the Athenians. It has been said that it broke out in many places previously in the vicinity of Lemnos and in other places; ... first ... this is said in parts of Ethiopia over Egypt, and then descended to Egypt and Libya and to most of the king's country [as well as in parts of the Persian empire] ... but now I remembered the epidemic of such numbers and mortality. Suddenly attacking Athens, he first attacked the population of Piraeus, which was the reason for their statement that the Peloponnese poisoned water reservoirs, there are still no wells, and then appeared in the upper city, when deaths became much more frequent. " [10] Plague attacked everyone, regardless of "class, gender or age", [11] Thucydides wrote.

With the beginning of the outbreak, doctors, including Hippocrates (460-377 BC), were often called the “Father of Medicine”, and interrogations rushed to help the victims. However, their efforts were useless. Thucydides talked about his heroic efforts: “None of the doctors was the first of those servants who were ignorant, because they were the proper way to treat, but they died most densely, because they most often visited the patient, and not a single human art to succeed better. Appearances in difficulties, predictions, etc., turned out to be equally useless, until the overwhelming nature of the disaster finally stopped them altogether.[whenyouwerepromptedbytheukuletuvuyuusefultips[whenitwasshownthat'theoracleshadnousefuladvicetooffer'[когдабылопоказаночтоуоракуловнетполезныхсоветов[whenitwasshownthat'theoracleshadnousefuladvicetooffer'[12] and the prayers went unanswered], " [13]

Per Diodorus Siculus, “The Athenians ... attributed the causes of their afflictions [Apollo, a] deity. Consequently, acting on the orders of a certain oracle, they cleared the island of Delos, which was sacred to [him] and were polluted, as men thought, by the burial of the dead. Thus, digging up all the graves on Delos, they transferred the remains to the island of Renia, as it is called, which is located near Delos. They also passed a law that neither birth nor burial should be allowed on Delos. And they also celebrated the meeting of the festival - Delia, which was held in one day, but was not noticed for a long time. "

With the help of medical effort, "ordinary remedies", [14] controlled in Athens to no avail, and the plague spreading to the north, the Thessalians fear terribly. “No remedies were found that could be used as concrete because the fact that good in one case caused harm to the other.” [15] Out of desperation, they prompted Hippocrates to return to Thessaly with promises of unlimited wealth, as described by Hippocrates. son in "Speech of the Messenger": [16]

At a time when the plague passed through the barbarian land north of the Illyrians and Peonians, when evil reached this area, the kings of these peoples went to Thessaly after my father [Hippocrates] because of his reputation as a doctor who, as a present, managed to go everywhere. Previously, he lived in Thessaly and lived there. They called him to help, saying that they were not going to send him gold, silver and other things, but he wanted to leave when he came to the rescue. And he asked what the violations were, the areas of the area, in the heat, winds and fog, and other things that create unusual conditions. When he received all the information, he told them to return, pretending that he could not go to his country. But as quickly as he could come to terms, in order to declare to the Thessalians how they could defend against impending evil.

Hippocrates had good reasons to avoid Thessaly. " [17] "... mortality among [doctors] was unusually high, because most often they came into contact with this disease. " [18] " [The]

When the plague began, please report similar outbreaks in North Africa, Persia, and Rome, the last in 446 BC, this was unexpected for the Athenians. “This year it is recognized that otherwise it was unprecedentedly free from the disease, and in this there were as few cases as it happened. However, as a rule, there was no obvious reason, but people who were in good condition were suddenly attacked with severe pain in the head, redness and inflammation in the eyes, internal parts such as the throat or tongue became bloody and radiate unnatural and foul breath "Began Thucydides. “These symptoms were followed by sneezing and hoarseness, after which the pain soon reached the chest and caused a hard cough. When it was fixed in the stomach, he upset it, and the emissions of bile of all kinds ... were accompanied, accompanied by very heavy anxiety. In most cases ... an ineffective retraction was accompanied, creating strong spasms, which in some cases soon after that in others much later. Externally, the body was not very hot to the touch and not pale in appearance, but reddish, bright and [breaking] in small pustules and ulcers. But internally he burned so that the patient could not have on himself the clothes or underwear of even the lightest description ... What they would be best for, it would be to throw them into cold water; as some of the forgotten patients did, who plunged into the tank of rain in their agony of unquenchable thirst ... although it does not matter whether they drank a little or a lot. In addition, the deceptive feeling of being unable to rest or sleep never ceased to torment them. In the meantime, the body did not waste time while the unrest was in full swing, but it was held by a miracle against its destruction; so that when they succumbed, as in most cases, on the seventh or eighth day before the internal inflammation, they still had a certain strength. But if they passed this stage, and the disease descended further into the intestines, causing severe ulceration, accompanied by severe diarrhea, it caused weakness, which was generally fatal. For the disorder, which first settled in the head, ran downstream from the whole body, and even where it was not mortal, it still left its mark on the ends; for he settled in secret parts, fingers and toes, and [even the] eyes " [19] he added. Generally, despite the fact that there were survivors, including Thucydides, as well as some who "were with all the memory loss at the first recovery and did not know either themselves or their friends," [20] the disease was fatal. "Seven-nine days the disease continued, and when she passed, she left behind a terrible weakness, so that many died from exhaustion." [21]

For difficult questions, the Athenians were also hindered by an outbreak, as Diodorus Siculs wrote: “As for the Athenians, they cannot risk meeting [the Lacedæmonians] in battle, and being tied together as they were within the walls, they were involved in an emergency situation caused by the plague; because, because a huge number of people of each description were brought to the city, there was a good reason for their victim of diseases, as they did, because of the close rest, breathing in the air that had become polluted. " [22] As an indicator of the severity of the plague and the adverse effects on the Athenian military, Pericles "began with 150 trireme (ancient ships using three banks of oars and sails for mobility) and a large number of hoplites and riders" to attack the state of the Peloponnese when it initially flared. After the accession of the plague reinforcements, this Athenian force returned after a few years “in a pitiful state,” suffering from great destruction. [23]

~ Continuing In Part 2 ~

[1] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[2] Sayaret. Plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Jellysoft Enterprises, Ltd. 2006. July 22, 2006 http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-28767.html

[3] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[4] Sayaret. Plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Jellysoft Enterprises, Ltd. 2006. July 22, 2006 http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-28767.html

[5] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[6] Telemach T. Timayenis. The history of Greece from the earliest times to the present day. (D. Appleton & Co., 1883) 312.

[7] > Sayaret. Plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Jellysoft Enterprises, Ltd. 2006. July 22, 2006 http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-28767.html

[8] Arthur James Grant. Greece In the era of Pericles. (John Murray, London, UK, 1893).

[9] David Noah. 9. The plague. University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. 2002 July 27, 2006. [http://www.lampeter.ac.uk/~noy/Medicine9.htm]

[10] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[11] Telemach T. Timayenis. The history of Greece from the earliest times to the present day. (D. Appleton & Co., 1883) 313.

[12] Arthur James Grant. Greece In the era of Pericles. (John Murray, London, UK, 1893).

[13] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[14] Arthur James Grant. Greece In the era of Pericles. (John Murray, London, UK, 1893).

[15] Carl J. Richard. Twelve Greens and Romans who changed the world. (Barnes & Noble Publishing, New York, 2006).

[16] David Noah. 9. The plague. University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. 2002 July 27, 2006. [http://www.lampeter.ac.uk/~noy/Medicine9.htm]

[17] Carl J. Richard. Twelve Greens and Romans who changed the world. (Barnes & Noble Publishing, New York, 2006).

[18] Arthur James Grant. Greece In the era of Pericles. (John Murray, London, UK, 1893).

[19] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[20] Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. from. 400 BC

[21] Arthur James Grant. Greece In the era of Pericles. (John Murray, London, UK, 1893).

[22] David Noah. 9. The plague. University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. 2002 July 27, 2006. [http://www.lampeter.ac.uk/~noy/Medicine9.htm]

[23] Telemach T. Timayenis. The history of Greece from the earliest times to the present day. (D. Appleton & Co., 1883). 316.