In Ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta were bitter rivals. Athens’ power relied mainly on its navy while Sparta relied mainly on land power. The warriors of Sparta were the most powerful land army of the time. This rivalry both on land and at sea led to the Peloponnesian Wars in 431 BC. Brutal warfare ensued for twenty-seven years, eventually leading to the downfall of Athens. There are many theories as to the reason for Athens demise. One such theory would be the mysterious plague that ravaged the land throughout 430 BC.
Approximately one third of the population of Athens fell victim to this unknown epidemic over its four-year course. There are many different theories about what that epidemic could have actually been, but the descriptions that have been found do …show more content…
However, Thucydides is also where most historians have gathered information about this mysterious plague. Thucydides contracted the plague, however he did not succumb to the illness, instead he offered historians an inside view of the symptoms and how it felt. This information was particularly helpful because at the time medical journals, guides, or similar teaching tools were sparse due to simplistic medical care. Thucydides said that the disease began in Ethiopia and then moved into Egypt, eventually moving onto Libya, and then slowly overwhelming Greece. This story is hard to prove however because these stories were passed around by word of mouth without any clear and valid sources. The place where the epidemic was said to have hit the hardest was Athens, but this could have just been another opinion; especially considering the people during this time rarely traveled outside of their native
Approximately one third of the population of Athens fell victim to this unknown epidemic over its four-year course. There are many different theories about what that epidemic could have actually been, but the descriptions that have been found do …show more content…
However, Thucydides is also where most historians have gathered information about this mysterious plague. Thucydides contracted the plague, however he did not succumb to the illness, instead he offered historians an inside view of the symptoms and how it felt. This information was particularly helpful because at the time medical journals, guides, or similar teaching tools were sparse due to simplistic medical care. Thucydides said that the disease began in Ethiopia and then moved into Egypt, eventually moving onto Libya, and then slowly overwhelming Greece. This story is hard to prove however because these stories were passed around by word of mouth without any clear and valid sources. The place where the epidemic was said to have hit the hardest was Athens, but this could have just been another opinion; especially considering the people during this time rarely traveled outside of their native