TY - JOUR
T1 - The Thucydides syndrome
T2 - A New Hypothesis for the Cause of the Plague of Athens
AU - Langmuir, A. D.
AU - Worthen, T. D.
AU - Solomon, J.
AU - Ray, C. G.
AU - Petersen, E.
PY - 1985/10
Y1 - 1985/10
N2 - The absence of romance in my history will, I fear, detract somewhat from its interest. Thucydides, 460–400 B.c. The plague of Athens, 430 to 427 B.c., was perhaps the most disastrous and fateful epidemic of recorded ancient history. It fell upon a city that had in just two generations created or nurtured such basic pursuits of Western culture as philosophy, history, tragedy, comedy, and of course, democracy. Her empire spanned the Aegean Sea and generated enough taxes to finance the magnificent Parthenon. But within three decades Athens had been defeated in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and would never again.
AB - The absence of romance in my history will, I fear, detract somewhat from its interest. Thucydides, 460–400 B.c. The plague of Athens, 430 to 427 B.c., was perhaps the most disastrous and fateful epidemic of recorded ancient history. It fell upon a city that had in just two generations created or nurtured such basic pursuits of Western culture as philosophy, history, tragedy, comedy, and of course, democracy. Her empire spanned the Aegean Sea and generated enough taxes to finance the magnificent Parthenon. But within three decades Athens had been defeated in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and would never again.
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U2 - 10.1056/NEJM198510173131618
DO - 10.1056/NEJM198510173131618
M3 - Editorial
C2 - 3900725
AN - SCOPUS:0022256702
SN - 0028-4793
VL - 313
SP - 1027
EP - 1030
JO - New England Journal of Medicine
JF - New England Journal of Medicine
IS - 16
ER -