The hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre, whiche was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans, translated oute of Frenche into the Englysh language by Thomas Nicolls citezeine and goldesmyth of London

¶ Of the pestil••nce that was in the cytie and lande of Athenyans, wyth the exploictes of warre, that were done of the one syde and of the other. And of the despayer, wher in the Athenyans were fallen. ☞The .viii. Chapter

THe sommer folowinge, the Peloponesyans and thair allyes entred a∣gayne into the lande of Athenes by two partes, so as they had done y^e sommer preceding, vnder the conduct of Archidamus king of Lacede¦monyens. And hauinge planted thair campe, pillaiged and wasted all the coūtrey. And an one after that they were therin entred, ther soubdainely came vpon the Athenyans a pestilence, which furst had bene (as men saye) in the cytie of Lemne & in many other places. But there was neuer sene in place of y^e world, so greate contagyousnes, nor wherof, so many people dyed. And the phisicyans could not therin ministre remedy, nother from the begynnynge knewe nothinge therin, so that many among thē therof dyed, chiefly those, that went to visitt the sicke. Also in lyke manner, men founde no remedy by vowes, by diuinations nor by any suche meanes, as they vsed. For in effecte all did nothing sarue or auaile. By meane whereof, whan the people were attaincted or infected, they lefte al the said remedies. And the same pestilence biganne, as it is sayde, in the countrey of Ethiope, that is aboue Egypte. Afterwardes it descēded into Egipt & into Libie, and extended yt self greatly, into the landes & seignyories of the kyng of Persie. And from thence, yt came incontynently to Athenes and biganne in Pyrens By meane wherof, they of the towne thought at begynnynge, that the Peloponesiās had impoysonned thair countrey for that, that they yet had not any fountaynes. Sone after, it passed into the hedde cytie. Fromthens, it spred maruailously ouer all. Wherof I am right willinge here to speake, to thintente, that euery one, that hath skille of phisicke,* 1.1 or that knowith nothinge therof, declare, if it be possible to vnderstande, wherof the same might chauce, and what mighte be the causes ve∣hement ynough, for to p••••••uce and bringe fourth so soubdaynely, one so greate mutacion and change. As to touchinge my selfe, I woll well shewe, howe it happe∣ned. And woll declare the thing of the sort, that euery one, that shal se that, which I wryte (if any suche chaunce, chaunced an other tyme) maybe aduertised & shall not be ignorante. For I speake as hauinge knowlaige. insomuche as I my selfe

haue had this sickenes, and sene them, that hadde yt. And it is to be knowin, that the same yeare, precedinge and goinge bifore, was aboue all other exempted frō all other maladies. And to them, that were infected with other sickenes, yt tour∣ned into this selfe same. And those, that were in full helth, founde thē soubdainly taken, without that, there was any cause precedinge, that might be knowin. And furste they felte a great heate in the hedde, whereby their eyes became redde and inflamed. And withinfourthe, their tongue and their throte, became all redde, & their breath became stinkynge and harshe. Whereupon, there ensued a continual neysinge, and therof thair voice became hoerse. Anone after that, yt descended in∣to the stomacke, whyche caused a greate coughe, that did righte sharpely payne them, and after that the matter came to the partes of the harte, it prouokedde them to a vomyte. By meane whereof, wyth a peyne yet more vehemente, they auoyded by the mouthe, stynkinge and bitter humors. And wyth that, some dyd fall into a yeskynge, whereupon they came incontynently into a palsey, whyche passed passed from some fourthwyth, and with othere endured longer. And al∣thoughe, that, to touche and se them wythoute, and throughe the bodyes: they were not exceadinge hotte nor pale, but that thair skynne was, as redde colour adusted, full of a lytle thynne blaynes: yet they feeled w^tinfourthe so maruailous a heate, that they might not indure, one onely clothe of lynnen vpon their fleshe, but they must of necessytie be all bare. And the greates••e plaisir that they coulde haue, was to caste them within a very colde caue, so that many of thē that were not kepte, casted themselfe wythin the pyttes, by force of the heate and of the droughe, though that it were all one to drynke lytle or much. With all this, they hadde no reste in all thair membres, by meanes wherof, they coulde neuer slepe. And yet though the euyll engendredde or waxed more, yet the bodyes were not thereby muche weakened, but they resisted the sickenes more than woulde haue bene thought, in suche manner, that some, that dyed of that great heate that bur∣ned thair entrailes, within seuen dayes and some wyth in nyne, they hadde yet some strengthe. And if they eskaped thys terme, the maladye yet descended to the belly, whyche caused a laxe wyth contynuall paynes, whereby manye died of weakenes. And for effecte, thys same pestylence and infectyon dydde gather togyther and engendred furst in y^e hedde and afterwardes ouerronned through all the vpper and exteryoure partes of the bodye. The vehemencye and vio∣lence whereof, shewed ytselfe to them, that recoueredde, in the extreme parties of theire bodyes. For yt descended to the secrete membres and to the extremy∣tes of the fete and of the handes, and in suche sorte, that some that were reco∣uered thereof, loste them, the othere loste the eyes, some othere, whan the ma∣ladye lefte them, hadde loste knowlaige and memory of all thynges, and of themselues. And for conclusyon thys sickenes touched all partes of a man, an•• was more greate, than coulde be expressed, and more sharpe and vehement•• than mans force canne tollerate and suffre. And in thys it declaredde ytselfe welle to be more greate, than all those, that hadde bene accustomed to be sene for all the fowles and the beastes, that hadde accustomed to seasonne on men•• car••ongns, dydde not than approche theym, thoughe a greate nomber remay¦ned vpon the earthe wythoute buryall, aythere elles they that seasonned, dyed there, and by thys, the infectyon was welle knowen ••or the fowles were not sene, nothere vp on the corpses, nor elleswhere throughe oute, where that same pestylence hadde course. And aboue all othere beastes, the dogges gaue mooste knowlayge of thys infectyonne for that, that they mooste accusto∣medde to haunte the people. Butt for to leaue manye othere soortes of

calamytes and of myseries of that same pestelence that chaunced dyuersly to particulers, vnto some more sharply, than vnto othere, it cōprehended al othere maladies, and dyd not ronne into any other. wherof ••ome dyed for lacke of good lokynge vnto, and the other for tomuche. And also there coulde no medecyne be founde, that men might truste to be propice and good against yt, for that, which profited one, dyd hurt an other. It left neuerthelas the bodies in thair entiernes, without that ther might be parceiued any difference of strēgth nor debilitie. And there was nother good complexion, nor regyment or gouernaunce, howe good that yt was, that might be exempted. But the woorste that was in this, was that men loste their harte, & hope incontynently, as they feeled themself attain••∣ted. In suche sort, that many, for despaire, holdinge themselues for dead, haban∣doned & forsoke thēself, & made no prouisyon nor resistence againste the sickenes. And an other great euill was, that the malady was so cōtagious, that those, that went for to visitt the sicke, were taken and infected, lyke as the shepe be, one after an other. By occasyon wherof, many dyed for lacke of succours. whereby it hap∣pened that many howses stoode voyde, and they that went to se theym, dyed al∣so. And specially the most honnest & honorable people, whiche toke it for shame, not to go to se nor succour their parentes and their frendes. And loued better to putt and sett fourth themselfe to manyfest danger, than to faile them at thair necessitie. Yet fynally they forsoke all, and were ouercome by the vehemency of the pestelence. Seinge the multitude of them, that dyed, in wepinge and la∣mentinge. But aboue all, they that were eskaped, did se the partie and the my∣serye of othere, for y^•, that they had experymēted yt in thēself. And also they were oute of daungers. For yt neuer toke them againe that had had it, at the least so, y^t they were in doubte of lyfe. By meanes wherof, they were reputed to be righte happy. And they themselfe for the ioye that they had of thair present helthe: had a folishe and vayne presumption to eskape afterwardes, from all other sickenes. Besides this pestilence, the citezeins were molested & anoyed by the great quan∣tyte and dyuersyte of grosse moueables, whyche those that were retyred into the cytie had brought thider. For that, that the lodginge beinge small and yet occu∣pyed with suche moueables & necessaries, they knewe not, where to tourne them self, and specyally at that same tyme of sommer, and by this meane, they dyed, cowched, where as they might, wythout any honnestie, some tyme the one vpon the other. And many were sene half dead in the stretes (chiefly aboutes the foun∣taynes) which wallowed on the earth, for the desire that they had of water. And the same temples where they had holden theire lodginges and abydinge, were full of dead corpses. For through the violence of the sickenes, they knewe not what they dydde, and hadde loste the knowlaige and reuerence of religion of the hollynes of places. And the righte of the graues, whiche they vsed in tyme paste, were all troubled and cōfused. For euery man buryed his, there, as he might. So that many housholdes, there graues beinge filled by the multitude of them, that were deade of their lignaige & familye, were constrayned, to caste the bodies of the other that dyed, into fylthy and dishonnest graues. For some, seing a butcher to be prepared & ready to burne some other body, casted y^e same of thair parētes aboue, & did put fyer vnder. The other did caste it nowe after that the fyer was there made, and the other bodye aboue, that burned. And after departed. And be∣sides all the euills & dommaiges, that this pestilēce caused, by occasyon therof, bi∣gōne one euille custome in our cytie, which afterwards extēded vnto many other things, more great. For that, that men had presently thā no shame to do things openly, whiche in tymes paste were wylled not to be done in secret. By this, that

they were kepte and restrayned from wantonnes & voluptuousnes. For seinge than one so greate and so soubdayne mutation and change of fortune, and that they that dyed soubdaynely, were verye happy, in regarde of them, that lauguy∣shed, and were longe in payne: The poore people to whome the goodes or ry∣ches came, cared not, but for to spende it shortely in all thynges of pleasure and voluptuousnes, and they thought that they could not do better. hauing no hope to enioye it longe, but rather attendynge and lokyng to leue them shortly, toge∣ders wyth theyr lyfe. And there was none, that for honnestye (though he knewe and vnderstode it) that wolde regarde to be wyllynge to enterpryse any honeste thynge, wherin there was any care or trauayle, hauynge no hope that he shulde lyue so longe, as to see it acheued and fynyshed. But all that, which for the time, they founde playsant and delectable for mans appetyte, they reputed profytable and honneste, wythoute any feare of Goddes or of lawes. For that, that they thought it to be all one to do yll, or good, consydered y^• aswell dyed the good, as the euyll, and also they hoped not to lyue so longe, that punyshment might be taken on them for their mysdedes by iustice, but they wayted a greater punish∣ment by the sentence of Goddes, which was nowe geuen, to wytt, to dye of that same pestilence. Whervpon, sythens it was so, they thought that it was beste, to employ the small tyme that they had to lyue, in makyng good chere and at their pleasure. In this calamyte than were the Athenyans, that dyed within the citye of the same pestylence, and withoute, the enemyes put all to fyer and bloude. Herevpon they brought many pronostications vnto theyr memory and also aū∣sweres of the Goddes, that had bene made before. Whiche they adapted and cō∣pared vnto thys chaunce. But amonge other a verse, that the auncyentes sayde, to haue harde song in theyr yougth, which had bene pronounced by an aunswer or oracle of the goddes in thys substaunce. There shall cōme into Dorye, warre wyth the lymon, wherof was altercation, before that thys chaunce happened. For some sayde, that by thys worde lymon, famyne shulde be vnderstanded, the other sayde, that it wolde signifye pestylence, but after that the chaunce was chaunced of the pestylence, euery one applyed the worde of the oracle vnto that, And in my fantasye, yf there yet came any other warre in the countreye of Do∣rye wyth famyne, men wolde applye it, aswell to the same there, as they dyd vn∣to thys here. They set fourth lykewyse the aunswere, that had bene made by the oracle of Apollo to the interrogacyon of the Lacedemonyans, touchyng that sa∣me warre. For hauynge demaunded who shulde haue therin the victory, the aū∣swere of the God had bene, that those that shulde make the warre with all their strengthe, and that he wolde be theyr ayde. And vpon that same aunswere, they made lykewyse theyr iudgementes and interpretations. For that same pestilen∣ce beganne fourthwith, as the Peloponesyans were entred that same yeare, into the lande of Athenyans. And also it dyd no euyll to the sayde Peloponesyans, at the leaste, whereby it shulde be caused to be estemed. And furst it toke in the citie of Athens, and after spredde to other townes of the countreye, as the same were peopled. And this is as touchynge the thynges that happened by the saide pesti∣lence. But as concernyng the warre•• the Peloponesyans, after that they hadde all burned and wasted the playne countreye, they came into the lande, that is called Parolos, that is to saye, nyghe vnto the sea. and wasted it lykewyse, vnto the mounte Laurus,* 1.2 where there be mynes of syluer. and furste they wasted the re∣gyon, which is on the coste of Peloponese, and after that same, that is on y^e cost of E••bee and of Andre. And yet Pericles perseuered styll in the opynyon, wher∣of he had bene the yeare precedynge. that no man shulde go fourthe agaynst the

ennemys. But after that they were entred into the lande of Athenes, he caused to prepare a houndred shyppes for to pillage and waste lykewyse in theyr coū∣trey. Into which he caused to be putt foure thousande footemen, and vpon other shyppes for to cary horses, he caused to be set thre houndred warryours horse∣men with theyr horses. which shyppes were than furst made at Athens of wood of olde shyppes, and in theyr compaignye wente those of Chio and of Lesbos w^t fyfty other shyppes. And Pericles departed from Athens wyth the sayde armye by sea than, whan the Peloponesyans were in the region nyghe the sea of Athe¦nes. So they came furst to descende into the lande of Epydaure, which is in Pe∣loponese, the whiche they pyllaged ouerall, and assieged the cytye, in hope to take it. But seynge that they loste tyme, they departed from thence, and wente into y^e regyons of Troizenide,* 1.3 of Halyde & Hermyonide, in the whiche, they dyd the like as they had done in that same of Epydaure. All whiche places be in the countrey of Peloponese on the sea coaste. From thence, they wente to descende in the coun∣trey of Prasie, whiche is in the regyon, nyghe to the sea, in the countrey of Laco∣nye. which countrey they pyllaged togedres with the towne, which they toke by force. And that done they retourned into theyr countrey of Athenes, frōwhence, the Peloponesyans were than departed for feare of the pestylēce, whiche had al∣wayes contynued in the cytye, and wythoute, ouer the Athenyās, so long, as they were in the sea, and that the Pelyponesyans were in theyr lande. Whervpō, those same Peloponesyans, vnderstandynge by the prysonners the infectyon & daun∣ger of the same pestilence, and perceiuing also the burying of the deade, departed hastely from the sayd lande, after that they had taryed there, fourty dayes. Du∣rynge whiche tyme, they wasted all the same countrey. In the same sommer, Ag∣non,* 1.4 sonne of Nycias, and Cleopompus,* 1.5 sonne of Clynyas, that were Collegues and compaygnions of Pericles in the leadyng or gouernaunce of the armye, de∣parted by sea with that selfe same hooste, that Perycles had caryed fourthe, and brought agayne for to go against the Chalcydes, that be in Thrace. And finding in their way the citie of Potydee, yet assieged with their people, they caused the ingynes of Artillerie to approche to the walles. So they battered thē, & dyd all their beste to take it. But all that newe succoure, & the other armye y^t was there before, coulde do nothing, because of the pestilence, y^t was entred amonge them. The which, they that came w^t Agnon, had brought. For y^e other had not before parceiued, nor felte it. which Agnon, vnderstandynge that Phormyon that was w^t in Chalcyde w^t a thousande & sixe houndred men,* 1.6 was departed frōthence, left thē, that he had foūde at the siege of Potydee, & retourned vnto Athenes, hauing lost a thousande & fourty fotemen of the foure thousande, that he had charged at Athenes. All deade of the pestilence. The self same sōmer, the Peloponesyans ca∣me agayne yet an other time into the coūtrey of Athenes. And atteigned to wast y^•, which was abyding there of the furst voyage. Whervpon, the Athenians seing thēselues so oppressed, w^t out by warre, & w^tin by pestylence, beganne to chaūge o∣pynyon, & tos••••aunder & speake euill of Pericles, saying y^t he had bene author of y^e warre, & that he was cause of al theyr myschefes. So they bente thēself & agreed to requyre peace of the Lacedemonians, but after y^t there were many messengers sente of y^e one syde & of thother, they coulde not take any resolution. By occasyon wherof, not knowing what more to do in their case, they yet agayn charged mo∣re soore, Pericles, who perceiuing y^t they were astonied of y^e estate, wherein their affayres were (for y^t time very euill) & that they dyd all y^t, whiche he had foresene frō beginning, being yet in his office of Capitayne & pretor or chief of the armye, caused them all to assemble, & exhorted them to hope better, parforcing him self to reduce their anger vnto cōtentacyon, and theyr feare vnto confydence. So he speaketh vnto them, in this manner.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Here the Author descry∣uethe a merue∣lous pe∣stylence
• * 1.2

  Lauri∣usmōs
• * 1.3

  Troeze¦nis.
• * 1.4

  Agnon••
• * 1.5

  Cleopō∣pus.
• * 1.6

  P••or∣mio.