The Narrative of the Athenian Plague as a Social and an Intellectual Construct

Abstract

A new stage in the research of the Epidemic narratives (starting from the 1970s) implies consideration of epidemics as a social and an intellectual construct. The article studies the Thucydides’ account of the Athenian plague of 430 B.C. in the context of these novel approaches. The study revealed that Thucydides’ story fits well Rosenberg’s narrative model of epidemics and also presents generalizations characteristic of epidemics as a social construct. Together with this the paper analyzes the responses of the Athenian society of the 430-ies B.C. to this challenge as well as the long-term impact the plague had on the various spheres of Athenian life