Plague of Athens - Background

Background

Sparta and her allies, with the exception of Corinth, were almost exclusively land based powers, able to summon large land armies which were very nearly unbeatable. Under the direction of Pericles, the Athenians retreated behind the city walls of Athens. They hoped to keep the Spartans at bay while the superior Athenian navy harassed Spartan troop transports and cut off supply lines. Unfortunately the strategy also resulted in adding many people from the countryside to an already well populated city, causing lack of food and other supplies. In addition, people from parts of Athens lying outside the city wall moved into the more protected central area. Due to the close quarters and poor hygiene exhibited at that time Athens became a breeding ground for disease and countless citizens were killed including Pericles, his first wife, and his sons Paralus and Xanthippus.

In his History of the Peloponnesian War, the contemporary historian Thucydides described the coming of an epidemic disease which began in Ethiopia, passed through Egypt and Libya, and then to the Greek world. The epidemic broke out in the overcrowded city. Athens lost perhaps one third of the people sheltered within its walls. The sight of the burning funeral pyres of Athens caused the Spartan army to withdraw for fear of the disease. It killed many of Athens's infantry, some expert seamen and the Athenian leader Pericles, who died during one of the secondary outbreaks in 429 BC. After the death of Pericles, Athens was led by a succession of leaders Thucydides described as incompetent or weak leaders. According to Thucydides, it was not until 415 BC that the Athenian population had recovered sufficiently to mount the disastrous Sicilian Expedition.

Modern historians disagree on whether the plague was a critical factor in the loss of the war. It is generally agreed however that the loss of this war may have paved the way for the success of the Macedonians and ultimately, the Romans.