The Plague of Athens: Pericles, Death, and Democracy

Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History · Oct 4, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In 430 BCE, just as Athens reached the height of its power under Pericles, a mysterious illness swept through the city walls during the Peloponnesian War. This episode explores the Great Plague of Athens, a catastrophic event that killed perhaps a third of the population and shattered the social fabric of the democracy. We examine how the disease spread in the overcrowded Piraeus, the breakdown of traditional laws and religious customs, and the political vacuum that followed the death of Pericles himself. Through the accounts of Thucydides, who survived the plague but lost his family, we see…