Book II - Wilbourhall.org

APPENDIX I. 243broke ont in Athens. No medicine, no prayera, no voices oforacles availed, so that men at last gave them up sis useless.48-54. History of the origin of the epidemic ; of itssymptoms and eflfects ; of its influence on morality.It seems that it broke out in Ethiopia, and passed thence tothe Persian Empire. Anyhow, it appeared quite suddenly inPiraeus, and thence made its way to the crowded city. Thehistorian promises to relate what he bad himself suffered andhad observed in others.There were three stages in the disease, which followed oneanother with such rapidity that the crisis came generally in aweek or nine days. Many who sur^'ived the crisis diedsubsequently from exhaustion. Others were disabled for atime or permanently. Even birds of prey and beasts shrankfrom the tainted flesh of the dead : no eagles gathered there.The doctors could discover no satisfactory treatment, and nonatural strength made any man proof against the infection.But worse than all the bodily suffering was the mentaldepression that accompanied the disease. Relatives neglectedto tend their sick and to mourn their dead. But so muchthe more readily, when natural ties were forgotten, did goodfriends sacrifice themselves ; and many generous men thuslost their lives. While the epidemic raged there was verylittle other sickness in the city : and those who once recoveredwere not liable to another attack ; at any rate, a second attackwas never serious. In the general panic, the ceremonies ofreligion and the decencies of burial were disregarded.While the love of many grew cold, wickedness increased.For hope and fear were fled, and men gave themselves up tothe pleasures of the moment, feeling that there was no future.The old people called to mind an oracular saying heard intheir youth ; but, though it seemed to apply to the present,they could not agree about one of the words.55-57. While Archidamus was ravaging Attica, Periclesleft Athens with a fleet of one hundred ships to ravage thecoasts of the Peloponuese. An attack on Epidaurus Tailed.The enemy retired from Attica where they had been for fortydays. This proved to be the longest of all the invasions ofAttica, though it was said that it would have lasted stilllonger had not the Peloponnesians feared the epidemic, whichhad scarcely been felt in the Peloponnese.58-59. When Pericles returned, the fleet was sent toPotidaea under Hacrnon. The only result was that the armyalready before the town caught the epidemic from the newlyarrivedtroops, so that Haignou returned after losing many men