Today's Passage
This passage describes the devastating plague that struck Athens in 430 BCE during the second year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
That year then is admitted to have been otherwise unprecedentedly free from sickness; and such few cases as occurred all determined in this. As a rule, however, 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. These symptoms were followed by sneezing and hoarseness, after which the pain soon reached the chest, and produced a hard cough. When it fixed in the stomach, it upset it; and discharges of bile of every kind named by physicians ensued, accompanied by very great distress. In most cases also an ineffectual retching followed, producing violent spasms, which in some cases ceased soon after, in others much later. Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor pale in its appearance, but reddish, livid, and breaking out into small pustules and ulcers. But internally it burned so that the patient could not bear to have on him clothing or linen even of the very lightest description; or indeed to be otherwise than stark naked. What they would have liked best would have been to throw themselves into cold water; as indeed was done by some of the neglected sick, who plunged into the rain-tanks in their agonies of unquenchable thirst; though it made no difference whether they drank little or much. Besides this, the miserable feeling of not being able to rest or sleep never ceased to torment them. The body meanwhile did not waste away so long as the distemper was at its height, but held out to a marvel against its ravages; so that when they succumbed, as in most cases, on the seventh or eighth day to the internal inflammation, they had still some strength in them. But if they passed this stage, and the disease descended further into the bowels, inducing a violent ulceration there accompanied by severe diarrhoea, this brought on a weakness which was generally fatal. For the disorder first settled in the head, ran its course from thence through the whole of the body, and, even where it did not prove mortal, it still left its mark on the extremities; for it settled in the privy parts, the fingers and the toes, and many escaped with the loss of these, some too with that of their eyes. Others again were seized with an entire loss of memory on their first recovery, and did not know either themselves or their friends.
Modern Translation
That particular year was acknowledged to have been remarkably free from other illnesses; indeed, whatever ailments did occur all transformed into this single disease. Typically, there was no apparent cause when healthy individuals were suddenly struck by intense burning sensations in the head, accompanied by redness and inflammation of the eyes. The internal organs—the throat and tongue—became bloodied and emitted an unnaturally foul odor. Following these initial symptoms came sneezing and hoarseness, after which the affliction descended to the chest, causing a severe cough. When the disease settled in the stomach, it caused violent upheaval; every type of bile discharge known to physicians followed, bringing extreme distress. Most sufferers experienced futile retching that produced violent convulsions, which subsided quickly in some cases but persisted much longer in others. Externally, the body felt neither particularly hot to touch nor appeared pale, but rather showed a reddish, bruised coloration, erupting in small pustules and sores. Yet internally, the burning was so intense that patients could not tolerate even the lightest clothing or linen; they desired nothing more than to remain completely naked. Above all, they yearned to plunge into cold water—as some neglected victims actually did, throwing themselves into rainwater cisterns in their desperate, unquenchable thirst, though drinking brought no relief regardless of quantity. Throughout this ordeal, the unbearable inability to rest or sleep tormented them continuously. Remarkably, the body did not waste away while the disease raged at its peak, but showed extraordinary resilience against its ravages. Consequently, when most victims died on the seventh or eighth day from internal inflammation, they still retained some physical strength. However, if they survived this critical phase and the disease progressed to the intestines, causing severe ulceration and violent diarrhea, the resulting weakness typically proved fatal. The disease originated in the head and coursed through the entire body; even when not fatal, it left permanent damage. It attacked the genitals, fingers, and toes—many survived only by losing these extremities, while some lost their eyesight. Others emerged from the illness with complete memory loss upon recovery, unable to recognize themselves or their loved ones.
Historical Context
This passage describes the devastating plague that struck Athens in 430 BCE during the second year of the Peloponnesian War. The disease arrived when the city was overcrowded with refugees from the countryside who had fled inside the walls following Pericles' defensive strategy against Spartan invasion. Thucydides, who contracted and survived the plague himself, provides this clinical description as both historian and eyewitness. The epidemic killed approximately one-third of Athens' population, including Pericles himself in 429 BCE. This catastrophe significantly weakened Athenian military capacity and morale, marking a crucial turning point in the war. The plague's impact extended beyond immediate casualties, undermining social cohesion and traditional religious practices as desperation replaced civic virtue.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Plague of Athens
The epidemic of 430-426 BCE remains medically controversial. Proposed identifications include typhoid, smallpox, measles, and even Ebola. Thucydides' systematic description represents one of history's first clinical accounts of epidemic disease, influencing medical writing for centuries.
Learn more →Thucydides as Medical Observer
Thucydides' precise symptomatology reflects the influence of Hippocratic medicine, emphasizing empirical observation over supernatural explanation. His methodical approach parallels his historical method, seeking natural causation rather than divine intervention.
Learn more →Ancient Greek Medicine
The reference to 'bile of every kind named by physicians' reflects humoral theory, which dominated Greek medicine. The four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile) were believed to determine health and temperament when balanced or imbalanced.
Learn more →Periclean Strategy
The plague's severity was exacerbated by Pericles' strategy of abandoning the countryside and crowding the population within Athens' walls. This defensive approach, while militarily sound, created ideal conditions for epidemic disease transmission.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Lucretius: De Rerum Natura (Book 6, lines 1138-1286)
Lucretius provides a poetic account of the Athenian plague based on Thucydides, emphasizing its philosophical implications about human mortality and the limits of civilization when confronted by natural disasters.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12, Chapter 45)
Diodorus briefly mentions the plague, noting its impact on Athenian military operations and connecting it to the broader narrative of Athens' declining fortunes in the war.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Pericles (Chapters 34-38)
Plutarch describes the plague's impact on Pericles personally, including the death of his sons and his own final illness, providing a more biographical perspective on the epidemic's human cost.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' clinical description of the plague reflect his broader historical methodology and his emphasis on empirical observation over supernatural explanation?
- What can this passage tell us about the relationship between war, urban crowding, and public health in ancient societies?
- How might the plague have affected Athenian confidence in their democracy and their gods, given the disease's indiscriminate nature?
- Compare Thucydides' account with modern pandemic narratives. What elements of human response to epidemic disease appear universal?