Plagues in Classical Literature

In an attempt to analyse man's condition, writers have traditionally drawn on sickness and devastation -epitomised in the often abstract theme of plague.[1]That man throughout history has displayed a morbid fascination for both disorders of the human body and great disasters, natural or man-made, is evident from the extent to which he has dwelt on such themes in literature and has maintained this interest through the modern media of cinema and television.These preoccupations, which appear in the Classical world and continue through the Bible, Shakespeare and more modern forms of literature, explore man's dilemma in the face of flood, earthquake, fire, drought, hurricane and pestilence.Similarly, the story of man's fight against disease has been chronicled through the ages, reaching an unequalled popularity in this century with film dramatisations of 'doctor' books and with a succession of TV soap operas whichthough permitting apparently unending opportunities for variety of character and incident -nevertheless display the same fundamental theme of medicine and science combating sickness and death.It is the aim of this study is to examine the role and function of descriptions of plagues (loimos in Greek and pestis in Latin) in the works of five major classical writers.An attempt will be made to determine the possible influences, impacts and motives of each author in presenting his particular theme of plague. LOIMOS -ThucydidesIn book 2 of his Histories, a monumental prose account of the Peloponnesian War, the historian Thucydides presents a powerful analysis of the great Athenian plague.This occupies eight chapters -reflecting, no doubt, the monstrous damage, both physical and psychological, the author believed to have been inflicted on both the Athenians and on society as a whole.As the author is at pains to point out, he is well equipped to deal with such a subject since he was a victim of the plague himself

Epistemology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Philosophy · Psychedelics and Drug Studies

• Eski Hellen Literatüründe İlahi Cezalandırmanın Tezahürü Olarak Veba Metaforu

  Open Access•Muzaffer Demir•International Journal of Ancient…•2021

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