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Plague breaks out in Athens

430 BCE, Athens. An event.

Where and when

430 BCEAthens

2,455 years ago

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, Athens

Soon after the Spartans invade again, a deadly epidemic strikes the crowded city. Thucydides, who caught it himself, says no one remembered one so deadly.

Not many days after their arrival in Attica the plague first began to show itself among the Athenians.

Thucydides 2.47.3Translated by Richard Crawley (1874)Read the full passage (Thucydides 2.47.3, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Plague of Athens, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

The plague killed an estimated quarter of the city's people. In the long run it redistributed wealth within Athenian society and weakened Athens politically.

Based on Wikipedia: Plague of Athens

The plague killed an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people, around 25% of the population

Long-term, the high death toll drastically redistributed wealth within Athenian society, and weakened Athens politically.

Wikipedia, Plague of Athens (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-23. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 431 BCE1 year earlier Thebans attack Plataea and the war begins Same years
  2. 431 BCE0.8999999999999773 years earlier Spartan army invades Attica Same years
  3. 430 BCEThis momentPlague breaks out in Athens
  4. set in 430 BCESame year Pericles calls Athens' empire a tyranny Rests on this event
  5. 430 BCE, written laterSame year Thucydides on the plague he caught Rests on this eventAlso in Athens
  6. 430 BCE, written laterSame year Thucydides on the plague in Athens Rests on this eventAlso in AthensAlso about the plague
  7. 430 BCE, written laterSame year Thucydides on how the plague changed people Rests on this eventAlso in Athens
  8. 431/430 BCEDuring it Athens holds a public funeral for its first war dead Same years
  9. 429 BCE1 year later Pericles dies Same years
  10. 165–180 CEabout 594 years later A plague spreads through the empire Also about the plague

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