During the time Athens was in fierce combat against Sparta, a plague broke out. This occurred during the Peloponnesian War around the 5th century. The people of Athens were losing interest in the war and misfortune spread through Athens. The plaque began to decimate the city while the threat of attack by Sparta loomed in the distance. In this essay I will discover what could have started the plaque and its connection to modern diseases (http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Athenian-Plague:--430-B.C.---426-B.C.-(Part-1)&id=275662).
The plague in Athens was devastating and delivered a severe blow on the population in Greece. Many died and it is uncertain what the cause truly was. There is no way to test for the cause of the plague so we may never know for sure. Thucydides was a great help to historians who are trying to look into the cause but his description don’t fully match and known disease. Form the information given by Thucydides; I believe that Typhus could be a match to what caused the plague in Athens around the 5th century. The symptoms are similar in both cases. Also the age of the people that are affected is similar. In both cases the suffers have extreme thirst and pain. This is the closest match to the mystery disease that we currently have.
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The Peloponnesian war begun after Greece had defeated the Persian Empire. The Greek historian Thucydides is the main source of information about this war. After the defeat of the Persian Empire, Athens took control as the Dumont Greek power. The jealous city states of Greece rebelled. Sparta be
gan the Peloponnesian war soon after over who would be the dominant power. The young men that were in Sparta and Greece stated fighting the war because they believe it was a source of adventure. After the first year of fighting a plague hit the Mediterranean. This occurred during the summer. The plague killed as much as ¼ of the population in that area. The plague hit two more times and more times and Thucydides himself contracted it. He later recovered. Pericles was the general that lead Athens in the Peloponnesian war. He was killed by the disease. It is uncertain what the disease is but it is believed that it could be typhus. Other possibilities include measles, ergotism, and influenza http://www.indiana.edu/~ancmed/plague.htm).
gan the Peloponnesian war soon after over who would be the dominant power. The young men that were in Sparta and Greece stated fighting the war because they believe it was a source of adventure. After the first year of fighting a plague hit the Mediterranean. This occurred during the summer. The plague killed as much as ¼ of the population in that area. The plague hit two more times and more times and Thucydides himself contracted it. He later recovered. Pericles was the general that lead Athens in the Peloponnesian war. He was killed by the disease. It is uncertain what the disease is but it is believed that it could be typhus. Other possibilities include measles, ergotism, and influenza http://www.indiana.edu/~ancmed/plague.htm).Thucydides gives us an important account of this plague in Thuc. 2.47-55 (see picture #1 from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_plague_of_ashdod_1630.jpg). In these chapters
he says that the plague began in Ethiopia and spread down to Egypt. From there it spread thought Greece and the Mediterranean. Thucydides describes the plague by saying “…there was no ostensible cause; but people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heats in the head, and redness and inflammation in the eyes, the inward parts, such as the throat or tongue, becoming bloody and emitting an unnatural and fetid breath” (Thuc. 2.49). Thucydides says the symptoms are then followed by sneezing, chest pain, coughing, spasms, and vomiting. The people who contracted it often couldn’t sleep because they were constantly being tormented by the disease. The survivors often lost fingers, toes, and sometimes they lost their eyes site or memories. Their bodies were often disfigured by the disease. Thucydides wrote his discretion so that it could be studied by future generations. This description is a great help in trying to figure out what the plague could have been (http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Thuc.+2.47-55.html).
he says that the plague began in Ethiopia and spread down to Egypt. From there it spread thought Greece and the Mediterranean. Thucydides describes the plague by saying “…there was no ostensible cause; but people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heats in the head, and redness and inflammation in the eyes, the inward parts, such as the throat or tongue, becoming bloody and emitting an unnatural and fetid breath” (Thuc. 2.49). Thucydides says the symptoms are then followed by sneezing, chest pain, coughing, spasms, and vomiting. The people who contracted it often couldn’t sleep because they were constantly being tormented by the disease. The survivors often lost fingers, toes, and sometimes they lost their eyes site or memories. Their bodies were often disfigured by the disease. Thucydides wrote his discretion so that it could be studied by future generations. This description is a great help in trying to figure out what the plague could have been (http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Thuc.+2.47-55.html).
In modern times we learned a lot more about the disease typhus. The symptoms include a severe headache, chills, high fever, stupor, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a skin rash. Typhus is caused sometimes caused by bacteria called Rickettsia prowazekii. These bacteria can cause epidemic or recrudescent typhus. Typhus is believed to be spread by lice. The treatments that are used for typhus include baptisia homeopathic prevention and treatment, rhus tox homeopathic prevention and treatment, arsenicum homeopathic remedy, phosphorus homeopathic remedy, mercurius homeopathic remedy. A little over half of the people who contract Typhus today are hospitalized (http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/t/typhus/intro.htm).
The plague in Athens was devastating and delivered a severe blow on the population in Greece. Many died and it is uncertain what the cause truly was. There is no way to test for the cause of the plague so we may never know for sure. Thucydides was a great help to historians who are trying to look into the cause but his description don’t fully match and known disease. Form the information given by Thucydides; I believe that Typhus could be a match to what caused the plague in Athens around the 5th century. The symptoms are similar in both cases. Also the age of the people that are affected is similar. In both cases the suffers have extreme thirst and pain. This is the closest match to the mystery disease that we currently have.
Primary Source:
Thuc. 2.47-55:The Plague. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Thuc.+2.47-55.html.
Sources:
Sources:
The Athenian Plague: 430 B.C. - 426 B.C. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Athenian-Plague:--430-B.C.---426-B.C.-(Part-1)&id=275662.
THE PLAGUE IN ATHENS DURING THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://www.indiana.edu/~ancmed/plague.htm.
Typhus. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/t/typhus/intro.htm.
Picture source:
The plague of ashdod 1630.jpg. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
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