Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 2.48

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Entstanden sein soll sie zuerst in Äthiopien oberhalb
Ägyptens, von wo sie sich dann nach Ägypten und Libyen und
einen großen Teil des persischen Reiches verbreitete. Ganz
plötzlich trat sie dann auch in Athen auf, und zwar kamen die
ersten Erkrankungen im Peiraieus vor, ja, es hieß sogar, die
Peloponnesier hätten die Brunnen vergiftet; denn damals gab
es dort noch keine Röhrenbrunnen. Später kam sie auch in
die obere Stadt, und nun erst fing das große Sterben an.
Ich überlasse es jedem, er sei Arzt oder Laie, seine Meinung
darüber zu äußern, woher sie wahrscheinlich entstanden ist und
weshalb sie so merkwürdige Erscheinungen zur Folge haben
konnte; ich will nur angeben, wie sie wirklich auftrat, und sie
so beschreiben, daß man, falls sie mal wiederkommt, hin
länglich über sie unterrichtet ist, um sie zu erkennen; denn ich
habe sie selbst gehabt und auch andere, die von ihr befallen
waren, selbst gesehen.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Theodor Braun (Translator). Leipzig. 1917.

Current edition First1KGreek

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs (German) (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] ἤρξατο δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον, ὡς λέγεται, ἐξ Αἰθιοπίας τῆς ὑπὲρ Αἰγύπτου, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἐς Αἴγυπτον καὶ Λιβύην κατέβη καὶ ἐς τὴν βασιλέως γῆν τὴν πολλήν.

[2] ἐς δὲ τὴν Ἀθηναίων πόλιν ἐξαπιναίως ἐσέπεσε, καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἐν τῷ Πειραιεῖ ἥψατο τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὥστε καὶ ἐλέχθη ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ὡς οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι φάρμακα ἐσβεβλήκοιεν ἐς τὰ φρέατα· κρῆναι γὰρ οὔπω ἦσαν αὐτόθι. ὕστερον δὲ καὶ ἐς τὴν ἄνω πόλιν ἀφίκετο, καὶ ἔθνῃσκον πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἤδη.

[3] λεγέτω μὲν οὖν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἕκαστος γιγνώσκει καὶ ἰατρὸς καὶ ἰδιώτης, ἀφ’ ὅτου εἰκὸς ἦν γενέσθαι αὐτό, καὶ τὰς αἰτίας ἅστινας νομίζει τοσαύτης μεταβολῆς ἱκανὰς εἶναι δύναμιν ἐς τὸ μεταστῆσαι σχεῖν· ἐγὼ δὲ οἷόν τε ἐγίγνετο λέξω, καὶ ἀφ’ ὧν ἄν τις σκοπῶν, εἴ ποτε καὶ αὖθις ἐπιπέσοι, μάλιστ’ ἂν ἔχοι τι προειδὼς μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, ταῦτα δηλώσω αὐτός τε νοσήσας καὶ αὐτὸς ἰδὼν ἄλλους πάσχοντας.

Translations (10)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] It began, by report, first in that part of Ethiopia that lieth upon Egypt, and thence fell down into Egypt and Africa and into the greatest part of the territories of the king.

[2] It invaded Athens on a sudden and touched first upon those that dwelt in Piraeus, insomuch as they reported that the Peloponnesians had cast poison into their wells (for springs there were not any in that place). But afterwards it came up into the high city, and then they died a great deal faster.

[3] Now let every man, physician or other, concerning the ground of this sickness, whence it sprung, and what causes he thinks able to produce so great an alteration, speak according to his own knowledge. For my own part, I will deliver but the manner of it and lay open only such things as one may take his mark by to discover the same if it come again, having been both sick of it myself and seen others sick of the same.

History of the Peloponnesian War Perseus (Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Crawley, Richard, translator. London and Toronto: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1914.) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] It first began, it is said, in the parts of Ethiopia above Egypt , and thence descended into Egypt and Libya and into most of the king's country.

[2] Suddenly falling upon Athens , it first attacked the population in Piraeus ,—which was the occasion of their saying that the Peloponnesians had poisoned the reservoirs, there being as yet no wells there—and afterwards appeared in the upper city, when the deaths became much more frequent.

[3] All speculation as to its origin and its causes, if causes can be found adequate to produce so great a disturbance, I leave to other writers, whether lay or professional; for myself, I shall simply set down its nature, and explain the symptoms by which perhaps it may be recognized by the student, if it should ever break out again. This I can the better do, as I had the disease myself, and watched its operation in the case of others.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 2.48 focus

¹ Zuerst soll sie sich, wie erzählt wird, in Aethiopien jenseits
AegMen gezeigt haben, dann stieg sie nachAegypten und Libyen hinab
und in viele Länder des persischen Königs. In die Stadt der Athener
aber kam sie ganz plötzlich, und zwar befiel sie zuerst die Leute im
Piräeus, so daß unter diesen sich Stimmen vernehmen ließen, als hätten
die Pcloponnesier Gift in die Cisternen geworfen, — denn Brunnen
gab es damals dort noch nicht. Bald kam sie aber auch in die obere
Stadt, und es starben nun schon viel mehr Menschen daran. Mag
nun aber über die Krankheit, wo sie wahrscheinlich ihren Ursprung
genommen, und über die Ursachen, die eine so große Veränderung zu
bewirken die Kraft hatten, Jeder reden, wie er denkt, sei er Arzt oder
Laie, — ich will hier nur erzählen, wie sie sich gezeigt hat, und will
sie so schildern, daß Einer, wenn sie einmal wiederkommen sollte, genug
von ihr wisse, um sie nicht zu verkennen; denn ich selbst habe sie über«
standen uud habe auch Andere gesehen, die daran Niederlagen.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 2.48 focus

XLVIII. La maladie commença, dit-on, par l’Éthiopie, au-dessus de l’Égypte ; elle descendit de là en Égypte et en Libye, et s’étendit à une grande partie des possessions du Roi. A Athènes, elle fondit telle- ment à l’improviste, que les habitants du Pirée, les premiers atteints, prétendirent que les Péloponnésiens avaient empoisonné les puits (car il n’y avait pas encore de fontaines en cet endroit). Du Pirée elle gagna la ville haute, et c’est alors surtout que la mortalité devint considérable.

Je laisse à chacun, médecin ou autre, le soin d’exposer ce qu’il sait de ce mal, son origine probable, et les moyens qu’il croit propres à faire cesser une perturbation aussi profonde : pour moi, je dirai quelle fut la maladie, quels en sont les symptômes, afin que, si jamais elle survenait de nouveau, on ait quelques indices pour la reconnaître. J’ai par devers moi l’expérience, pour avoir vu les autres atteints et pour avoir été frappé moi-même par le fléau.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 2.48 focus

Cette maladie commença, dit-on dans l’Éthiopie, au-dessus de l’Égypte; de là elle étendit ses ravages sur l’Égypte, la Libye et la majeure partie des États du roi; puis elle fondit sur la ville d’Athènes et d’abord sur le Pirée, si brusquement qu’on accusa les Péloponésiens d’avoir empoisonné les puits, — il n’y avait pas encore de fontaines en ce lieu, — mais ce fut dans la ville haute que la mortalité fut la plus grande.

Je laisse à chacun, médecin ou non, le soin d’expliquer l’origine probable de ce fléau et de rechercher les causes capables d’opérer une telle perturbation ; je me bornerai à décrire les caractères et les symptômes de cette maladie, afin qu’on puisse se mettre sur ses gardes, si jamais elle reparaît. J’en parlerai en homme qui fut atteint lui-même et qui vit souffrir d’autres personnes.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] The disease began, it is said, in Ethiopia beyond Egypt, and then descended into Egypt and Libya and spread over the greater part of the King's territory.

[2] Then it suddenly fell upon the city of Athens, and attacked first the inhabitants of the Peiraeus, so that the people there even said that the Peloponnesians had put poison in their cisterns; for there were as yet no public fountains there. But afterwards it reached the upper city also, and from that time the mortality became much greater.

[3] Now any one, whether physician or layman, may, each according to his personal opinion, speak about its probable origin and state the causes which, in his view, were sufficient to have produced so great a departure from normal conditions: but I shall describe its actual course, explaining the symptoms, from the study of which a person should be best able, having knowledge of it beforehand, to recognize it if it should ever break out again. For I had the disease myself and saw others sick of it.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] It is said to have first begun in the part of Aethiopia above Egypt, and then to have come down into Egypt, and Libya, and the greatest part of the king's territory.

[2] On the city of Athens it fell suddenly, and first attacked the men in the Piraeus; so that it was even reported by them that the Peloponnesians had thrown poison into the cisterns; for as yet there were no fountains there. Afterwards it reached the upper city also; and then they died much more generally. Now let every one, whether physician or unprofessional man, speak on the subject according to his views;

[3] from what source it was likely to have arisen, and the causes which he thinks were sufficient to have produced so great a change [from health to universal sickness]. I, however, shall only describe what was its character; and explain those symptoms by reference to which one might best be enabled to recognise it through this previous acquaintance, if it should ever break out again; for I was both attacked by it myself, and had personal observation of others who were suffering with it.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 2.48.1 focus

[1] Primum autem hic morbus, ut fertur, initium duxit ex iEthiopia, quae est supra .Egyptum; deinde vero et in iEgyptum et Libyam descendit, et in magnam partem regionis regis Persarum,

[2] In Atheniensium autem civitatem derepente incidit, et primum in Pyraeeo homines temptavit, ita ut ab his etiam rumor disseminatus sit, venena a Peloponnesiis in puteos dejecta esse; fontes enim nondum erant illic. Deinde vero et in superiorem urbem processit, et jam longe plures moriebantur.

[3] Pronunciet autem de eo, ut quisque sentit, tam artis medicae peritus, quam imperitus, unde verisimile videatur eum exstitisse, et causas quas putet tantae mutationis esse idoneas, ut vim ad rerum conversionem habuerint. Ego vero et cujusmodi fuerit, dicam, et ea, quae sibi quisque proponens, si quando rursus etiam hic morbus ingruat, jam praedoctus aliquid habeat, ex quo praecipue eum cognoscat, haec declarabo, qui et ipse hoc morbo laboravi, et alios eo laborantes ipse vidi.

Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides First1KGreek (Thucydides. Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides. Gürsching, Heinrich, translator. Augsburg: Wirth, 1856.) — 2.46.1 focus

[1] Und nun, da ich als Festredner nach bestem Wissen dem Gesetze genügt, und die Veranstaltungen zur Ehre der Bestatteten theils schon beendigt, theils die alsbaldige Uebemahme der Erziehung ihrer Söhne bis zum Mannesalter vom Staate freigebig beschlossen ist — und solche Aufopferung jetzt und in Zukunft nicht ungelohnt zu lassen, ist er sich schuldig; denn je grösser der Ehrenpreis, der den Tapfern erwartet, desto mehr zuverlässige Männer hat der Staat —

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 2.48 focus

È fama che la pestilenza incominciasse nell’Etiopia al di là dell’Egitto : e calando poi nell’Egitto stesso, nella Libia, ed in gran parte delle terre soggette al re, si avventò improvvisamente alla città d'Atene, ove prima di tutto toccò gli abitanti del Pireo, cosicché fu da essi detto avere i Peloponnesi gittato dei veleni nei pozzi, at» teso che non eranvi ancora fontane ; e di lì discorrendo nella parte superiore della città , maggiore era il numero di quei che morivano. Dica pertanto ciascuno, medico o no che egli sia, giusta la sua opinione , donde s'abbia a credere che muovesse, e quali sieno state le cause che valsero a partorire tanto rivolgimento ; che io in quanto a me che ne fui malato e vidi pur gli altri, dirò quale si fosse, e dichiarerò quello per cui ciascuno potrà indubitatamente riconoscerla (essendone innanzi informato) se mai di nuovo cadesse.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides Book 2 (Thucydides, Book II. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1891.) focus

Ἤρξατο —sc. τὸ κακόν. ὑπὲρ —beyond, i.e. further inland, ‘south of.’ So the plague in Justinian's reign was said to have come from Ethiopia and Egypt: the ‘Black Death’ was traced to the Levant.

τὴν πολλήν —limiting apposition.

Ἐν τῷ Πειραιεῖ —it was imported, as in the case of the plague under Justinian.

φάρμακα —so in Germany and England in 1349 the Jews were supposed to have poisoned the wells. The plague had broken out a few days after the Peloponnesians invaded Attica.

φρέατα —‘cisterns,’ for rainwater.

κρῆναι —see c. 15, 5.

οὔπω —probably the astronomer Meton suggested them in 414 B.C.

Ἀφ’ ὅτου —cf. 49, 2, 62, 4, 68, 2. Contrast the phrase ἐξ ὅτου=‘since which time.’

εἰκὸς ἦν —c. 10, 1.

τὰς αἰτίας — = τὰς αἰτίας τοσαύτης μεταβολῆς, ἅστινας υομίζει ἱκανὰς εἶναι. In the adscript, δύναμιν σχεῖν was meant to explain ἱκανὰς εἶναι, ἐς τὸ μεταστῆσαι to explain μεταβολῆς. (To the list of those who bracket here, which is given in the not. crit., add Hampke, Studien, p. 16).

ἀφ’ ὧν ... σκοπῶν —take ταῦτα below with ἀφ’ ὧν,=the symptoms, by which it might be recognised in future. Cf. I. 21, 2 ἀπ’ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων σκοποῦσι, III. 38, 4 ἀπὸ τῶν εὖ εἰπόντων σκοποῦντες. ἄν— belongs to ἔχοι, cf. c. 41, 1.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.48

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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