The Plague of Athens, which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warre First described in Greek by Thucydides; then in Latin by Lucretius. Now attempted in English

In the second year of the bitter Peloponnesian War, Athens was struck by a devastating epidemic that claimed countless lives and shook the city’s resolve. Drawing on Thucydides’ own eyewitness account, the narrative paints a vivid picture of panic, failed cures, and the desperate prayers to the gods as the disease spread through the crowded streets. Listeners will hear the grim reality of a society under siege, where even physicians fall victim to the very illness they strive to treat.

The work is presented in a careful early‑modern English rendering, preserving the original’s stark clarity while adding helpful notes that guide modern ears through archaic phrasing. A scholarly introduction explains the challenges of translating a text written centuries ago, and the translator’s humility in confronting the limits of distance from the events. This blend of history and literary craftsmanship invites listeners to experience the ancient crisis with fresh ears, without revealing how the story ultimately resolves.