Today's Passage
This passage marks the transition from Pericles' Funeral Oration to the devastating plague that struck Athens in 430 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“And now that you have brought to a close your lamentations for your relatives, you may depart.”
Second Year of the War—The Plague of Athens—Position and Policy of Pericles—Fall of Potidæa
Such was the funeral that took place during this winter, with which the first year of the war came to an end. In the first days of summer the Lacedaemonians and their allies, with two-thirds of their forces as before, invaded Attica, under the command of Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, King of Lacedaemon, and sat down and laid waste the country. Not many days after their arrival in Attica the plague first began to show itself among the Athenians. It was said that it had broken out in many places previously in the neighbourhood of Lemnos and elsewhere; but a pestilence of such extent and mortality was nowhere remembered. Neither were the physicians at first of any service, ignorant as they were of the proper way to treat it, but they died themselves the most thickly, as they visited the sick most often; nor did any human art succeed any better. Supplications in the temples, divinations, and so forth were found equally futile, till the overwhelming nature of the disaster at last put a stop to them altogether.
It first began, it is said, in the parts of Ethiopia above Egypt, and thence descended into Egypt and Libya and into most of the King’s country. Suddenly falling upon Athens, it first attacked the population in Piraeus—which was the occasion of their saying that the Peloponnesians had poisoned the reservoirs, there being as yet no wells there—and afterwards appeared in the upper city, when the deaths became much more frequent. All speculation as to its origin and its causes, if causes can be found adequate to produce so great a disturbance, I leave to other writers, whether lay or professional; for myself, I shall simply set down its nature, and explain the symptoms by which perhaps it may be recognized by the student, if it should ever break out again. This I can the better do, as I had the disease myself, and watched its operation in the case of others.
Modern Translation
"Now that you have completed your mourning for your dead, you may leave."
The Second Year of the War—The Plague at Athens—Pericles' Position and Strategy—The Fall of Potidaea
This was how the funeral took place during that winter, marking the end of the war's first year. In early summer, the Spartans and their allies invaded Attica again with two-thirds of their forces, commanded by Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, the Spartan king. They established positions and began devastating the countryside. Shortly after their arrival, the plague first appeared among the Athenians. Reports claimed it had previously broken out near Lemnos and elsewhere, but no one could recall a disease of such scope and deadliness. The doctors proved useless initially—ignorant of proper treatment, they died in the greatest numbers since they had the most contact with the sick. No human skill proved any more effective. Temple prayers, prophecies, and similar measures were equally futile, until the disaster's sheer magnitude forced people to abandon them entirely.
The disease reportedly began in Ethiopia above Egypt, then spread down through Egypt and Libya into most of the Persian Empire. It struck Athens suddenly, first attacking the population at Piraeus—leading some to claim the Peloponnesians had poisoned the water tanks, since there were no wells there yet—before reaching the upper city, where deaths increased dramatically. I leave speculation about its origin and causes—if adequate causes exist for such a catastrophe—to other writers, medical or otherwise. I will simply describe its nature and symptoms, so future students might recognize it if it returns. I can do this accurately, having suffered the disease myself and observed it in others.
Historical Context
This passage marks the transition from Pericles' Funeral Oration to the devastating plague that struck Athens in 430 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War. The Spartans have launched their annual invasion of Attica, forcing the rural population to crowd within Athens' walls—creating ideal conditions for epidemic disease. Thucydides introduces the plague with characteristic methodological precision, rejecting speculation about divine or human causes in favor of empirical observation. This catastrophe would kill perhaps a quarter of Athens' population, including Pericles himself in 429 BCE, fundamentally altering the war's trajectory. The historian's personal experience with the disease adds unique authority to his account, which remains one of history's earliest detailed epidemic descriptions.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Plague of Athens
The epidemic of 430-426 BCE killed an estimated 75,000-100,000 people, roughly 25% of Athens' population. Modern scholars have proposed various identifications including typhoid, smallpox, and ebola-like hemorrhagic fever, though no consensus exists. The disease's impact extended beyond mortality to social breakdown and religious crisis.
Learn more →Archidamus II
The Spartan king (r. 469-427 BCE) who led the early invasions of Attica. Known for his caution and diplomatic efforts before the war, he gave his name to the conflict's first phase (the Archidamian War, 431-421 BCE). His strategy of annual invasions aimed to force Athens into pitched battle.
Learn more →Ancient Medical Knowledge
Greek medicine in the 5th century BCE was transitioning from religious to naturalistic explanations. The Hippocratic school emphasized observation and natural causes, but epidemic diseases remained poorly understood. Thucydides' clinical description reflects this empirical approach while acknowledging medicine's limitations.
Learn more →Piraeus
Athens' port city, connected to the main city by the Long Walls. As the commercial and naval center, it had a dense, diverse population particularly vulnerable to epidemic disease. The accusation of well-poisoning reflects common ancient responses to unexplained epidemics.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (34-35)
Describes the plague's impact on Athens and Pericles' political position, noting how the disaster turned public opinion against him and his defensive strategy.
Read passage →Lucretius: De Rerum Natura (6.1138-1286)
Provides a poetic account of the Athenian plague based on Thucydides, demonstrating the historical impact of Thucydides' description on later literature.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.45)
Offers a brief account of the plague emphasizing its divine origin as punishment for sacrilege, contrasting with Thucydides' naturalistic approach.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' empirical approach to describing the plague reflect broader changes in Greek intellectual culture during the 5th century BCE?
- What does the contrast between religious responses (prayers, divination) and medical responses reveal about Athenian society's worldview during crisis?
- How might the plague have affected Athenian democracy and Pericles' strategy of avoiding land battles while relying on naval supremacy?
- Why does Thucydides emphasize his personal experience with the disease? How does this affect his credibility as a historian?