Edgar Carew Marchant Commentary on Thucydides Book 2 2.51

[1] So that this disease (to pass over many strange particulars of the accidents that some had differently from others) was in general such as I have shown, and for other usual sicknesses at that time no man was troubled with any. Now they died some for want of attendance and some again with all the care and physic that could be used.

[2] Nor was there any to say certain medicine that applied must have helped them; for if it did good to one, it did harm to another.

[3] Nor any difference of body, for strength or weakness, that was able to resist it; but it carried all away, what physic soever was administered.

[4] But the greatest misery of all was the dejection of mind in such as found themselves beginning to be sick (for they grew presently desperate and gave themselves over without making any resistance), as also their dying thus like sheep, infected by mutual visitation, for the greatest mortality proceeded that way. For if men forebore to visit them for fear, then they died forlorn;

[5] whereby many families became empty for want of such as should take care of them. If they forbore not, then they died themselves, and principally the honestest men. For out of shame they would not spare themselves but went in unto their friends, especially after it was come to this pass that even their domestics, wearied with the lamentations of them that died and overcome with the greatness of the calamity, were no longer moved therewith.

[6] But those that were recovered had much compassion both on them that died and on them that lay sick, as having both known the misery themselves and now no more subject to the danger. For this disease never took any man the second time so as to be mortal. And these men were both by others counted happy, and they also themselves, through excess of present joy, conceived a kind of light hope never to die of any other sickness hereafter.

[1] Such then, if we pass over the varieties of particular cases, which were many and peculiar, were the general features of the distemper. Meanwhile the town enjoyed an immunity from all the ordinary disorders; or if any case occurred, it ended in this.

[2] Some died in neglect, others in the midst of every attention. No remedy was found that could be used as a specific; for what did good in one case, did harm in another.

[3] Strong and weak constitutions proved equally incapable of resistance, all alike being swept away, although dieted with the utmost precaution.

[4] By far the most terrible feature in the malady was the dejection which ensued when anyone felt himself sickening, for the despair into which they instantly fell took away their power of resistance, and left them a much easier prey to the disorder; besides which, there was the awful spectacle of men dying like sheep, through having caught the infection in nursing each other. This caused the greatest mortality.

[5] On the one hand, if they were afraid to visit each other, they perished from neglect; indeed many houses were emptied of their inmates for want of a nurse: on the other, if they ventured to do so, death was the consequence. This was especially the case with such as made any pretensions to goodness: honor made them unsparing of themselves in their attendance in their friends' houses, where even the members of the family were at last worn out by the moans of the dying, and succumbed to the force of the disaster.

[6] Yet it was with those who had recovered from the disease that the sick and the dying found most compassion. These knew what it was from experience, and had now no fear for themselves; for the same man was never attacked twice—never at least fatally. And such persons not only received the congratulations of others, but themselves also, in the elation of the moment, half entertained the vain hope that they were for the future safe from any disease whatsoever.

Dies war im Ganzen die Art der Krankheit, um von vielen
andern seltsamen Dingen zu schweigen, die dabei vorzugsweise dem
Einen oder dem Anderen zustießen. Zu gleicher Zeit hatte man von
den sonst gewöhnlichen Krankheiten Nichts zu leiden, und wenn etwas
der Art vorkam, so schlug es in jene um. Es starben aber wie die,
denen es an Pflege mangelte, so auch die mit aller Sorgfalt Gevflea« ^{1 2 3}
ten. Es gab auch nicht cm besonderes Heilmittel, von dem man
sagen konnte, daß sein Gebrauch hätte nützen müssen; denn was dem
Einen nützte, erwies sich dem Andern schädlich. Die
Leibesbeschaffcnheit für sich genommen, war es ganz gleichgültig, ob Einer kräftig
war oder schwächlich, sondern Alles ohne Unterschied raffte die Seuche
dahin, ob sich nun Einer so oder so behandeln ließ. Das Furchtbarste
dabei war aber die Muthlosigkeit, wann sich Einer von dem Uebel
ergriffen fühlte, — dein dann überließ man sich allsogleich der
Hoffnungslosigkeit, gab sich über Gebühr selbst auf und leistete keinen
Widerstand, — und daß, Einer durch die Pflege des Andern
angesteckt, die Menschen dahinstarben wie die Schafe. Das war es, was
den stärksten Verlust verursachte. Denn wenn man aus Furcht sich
den Andern zu nähern vermied, so gingen diese in ihrer Verlassenheit
zu Grunde, wie denn viele Häuser aus Mangel an Wärtern ganz
ausgestorben waren. Wer aber sich jenen näherte, ging auch zu
Grunde, und besonders die, welche den Tugendpflichten ein Genüge
leisten wollten; denn aus Scham schonten sie sich selbst nicht und
besuchten ihre Freunde, da auch die nächsten Anverwandten, überwältigt
von dem endlosen Elende, des Klagens über die Gestorbenen müde
wurden. Größeres Mitleid aber, mit den Gestorbenen sowohl
wie mit den noch Leidenden, hatten die Geretteten, weil sie das Uebel
kannten und sich selbst bereits in Sicherheit wußten. Denn zum
zweiten Male befiel Keinen die Krankheit so, daß er daran gestorben
wäre. Und die Andern und sie selbst priesen sich glücklich, vor großer
Freude über die Gegenwart sowohl, als auch weil sie der Hoffnung
lebten, daß ihnen nun vielleicht keine Krankheit mehr tödtlich werden
könnte.

Das war, abgesehen von mancherlei besonderen Er­
scheinungen, wie sie sich hier und da zeigten, im allgemeinen
die Gestalt, in der die Krankheit auftrat. Andere gewöhnliche
Krankheiten aber kamen in jener Zeit nicht vor, und wenn es
etwa doch der Fall war, schlugen sie in diese um. Die Menschen
starben, mochten sie sich selbst überlassen oder aufs beste ver­
pflegt sein. Es gab in der Tat kein Mittel, das man dagegen
mit einiger Aussicht auf Erfolg hätte anwenden können; denn^
was dem einen nützte, schadete dem anderen. Der Krankheit
gegenüber verschlug es nichts, ob einer von Haus aus eine
feste Gesundheit hatte oder nicht; sie raffte alles hin auch bei
der sorgfältigsten Behandlung. Das Schlimmste war die Mut­
losigkeit, wenn einer sich krank fühlte, daß er sich in der Ver­
zweiflung gleich völlig aufgab und keinen Widerstand mehr
leistete, und daß infolge der Ansteckung die Menschen starben
wie die Fliegen. Und das war grade ein Hauptgrund der
großen Sterblichkeit. Denn wenn man es aus Furcht vor An­
steckung vermied, mit den Kranken in Berührung zu kommen,
und niemand sich ihrer annahm, so starben diese, wie denn in
der Tat manche Häuser, wo es an Pflege fehlte, völlig aus-^
starben. Wer aber die Kranken besuchte, war selbst ein Kind
des Todes, und das traf grade vorzugsweise die Mutigen, die
es für Pflicht hielten, ihren Mitmenschen hilfreich beizustehen.
Denn die sahen es für Ehrensache an, sich selbst nicht zu
schonen und ihre Freunde zu besuchen, da deren Angehörige,
durch das grenzenlose Elend gebrochen, es schließlich müde
wurden, an den Sterbebetten zu jammern. Am meisten aber^
erbarmten sich solche der Kranken und Sterbenden, welche die ^
Krankheit selbst bereits überstanden hatten, weil sie sie aus
Erfahrung kannten und sich selbst jetzt davor sicher wußten.
Denn zum zweitenmal kriegte sie niemand so, daß er daran
gestorben wäre. Darum wurden sie von anderen glücklich ge­
priesen und waren selbst froh, daß sie für diesmal glücklich
durchgekommen waren und immerhin hoffen durften, auch bei
einer etwaigen neuen Erkrankung wenigstens mit dem Leben
davonzukommen.

LI. Tel était en général, et sans m’arrêter à un grand nombre d’accidents et de symptômes particuliers aux différents sujets, le caractère de la maladie. Aucune des affections habituelles ne sévissait à cette époque ; s'il en survenait quelqu'une, elle aboutissait à la maladie régnante. Les uns mouraient négligés, les autres en dépit de tous les soins. Il ne se trouva, pour ainsi dire, aucun remède d’une efficacité incontestable ; car ce qui convenait à l’un nuisait à l'autre. Il n'y eut aucun corps que sa vigueur ou sa faiblesse ¹ missent à l’abri du fléau ; il emportait tout, quels que fussent les soins et le régime. Le plus affreux était le découragement de ceux qui se sentaient attaqués : songeant tout d’abord qu’il n’y avait aucune espérance, ils s’abandonnaient eux-mêmes et ne cherchaient pas à lutter contre le mal ; ce qui n’était pas moins triste, c’était de voir, comme dans les troupeaux, la contagion et la mort se répandre par les soins mêmes qu’on se donnait mutuellement ; car ce fut là ce qui causa la plus grande mortalité. Si, par crainte, on ne voulait pas communiquer avec les autres, on mourait délaissé ; bien des familles s’éteignirent ainsi, sans recevoir aucun soin de personne. Approchait-on, au contraire, des malades, on périssait également ; tel fut surtout le sort de ceux qui, se piquant de quelque vertu, ne s’épargnaient pas eux-mêmes, par un sentiment de pudeur, et allaient assister leurs amis ; car les parents eux-mêmes, vaincus par l’excès du mal, se lassèrent à la fin de rendre aux morts les derniers devoirs. Au reste, personne n’éprouvait pour les mourants et les malades une compassion plus vive que ceux qui avaient échappé au fléau ; car ils avaient connu les mêmes souffrances, et personnellement ils étaient désormais sans crainte, la maladie n’attaquant pas une seconde fois mortellement la même personne. Ils recevaient les félicitations des autres, et, dans l’enivrement de la joie présente, ils allaient jusqu’à se bercer de la vaine espérance qu’aucune autre maladie ne pourrait à l’avenir triompher de leur constitution ² .

Tel était, pour laisser de côté les accidents exceptionnels et les variétés dépendant des individus, le caractère général de cette épidémie. Aussi longtemps qu’elle régna, aucune des maladies ordinaires ne se fît sentir, ou bien elles aboutissaient toutes à celle-ci. Les uns mouraient sans secours, le$ autres entourés de soins. On ne trouva, pour ainsi dire, pas un seul remède d’une efficacité reconnue ; ce qui avait fait du bien à l'un faisait du mal à l’autre. Aucune constitution, forte ou faible, ne mettait à l'abri du fléau ; il enlevait tout, quel que fût le traitement suivi.

Bien n’était plus fâcheux que l’abattement de ceux qui se sentaient frappés. Au lieu de se roidir contre le mal, ils tombaient aussitôt dans le désespoir et dans une prostration complète. La contagion se propageait par les soins mutuels, et les hommes périssaient comme des troupeaux. C’est là ce qui fit le plus de victimes. Ceux qui,par crainte, voulaient se séquestrer, mouraient dans l’abandon ; plusieurs maisons se dépeuplèrent ainsi, faute de secours. Si au contraire on approchait des malades, on était soi-même atteint. Tel fut surtout le sort de ceux qui se piquaient de courage; ils avaient honte de s’épargner et allaient soigner leurs amis ; car les parents eux-mêmes, vaincus par l’excès du mal, avaient cessé d’être sensibles uux plaintes des mourants. Les plus compatissants pour les moribonds et pour les malades étaient ceux qui avaient échappé au trépas ; ils avaient connu la souffrance et ils se trouvaient désormais à couvert, les rechutes n’étant pas mortelles. Objets de l’envie des autres, ils étaient, pour le moment, remplis de joie, et nourrissaient pour l’avenir une vague espérance de ne succomber à aucune autre maladie.

[1] Such, then, was the general nature of the disease; for I pass over many of the unusual symptoms, since it chanced to affect one man differently as compared with another. And while the plague lasted there were none of the usual complaints, though if any did occur it ended in this. Sometimes death was due to neglect, but sometimes it occurred in spite of careful nursing.

[2] And no one remedy was found, I may say, which was sure to bring relief to those applying it—for what helped one man hurt another—

[3] and no constitution, as it proved, was of itself sufficient against it, whether as regards physical strength or weakness, ¹ but it carried off all without distinction, even those tended with all medical care.

[4] And the most dreadful thing about the whole malady was not only the despondency of the victims, when they once became aware that they were sick, for their minds straightway yielded to despair and they gave themselves up for lost instead of resisting, but also the fact that they became infected by nursing one another and died like sheep. And this caused the heaviest mortality; for if, on the one hand, they were restrained by fear from visiting one another, the sick perished uncared for, so that many houses were left empty through lack of anyone to do the nursing;

[5] or if, on the other hand, they visited the sick, they perished, especially those who made any pretensions to goodness. For these made it a point of honour to visit their friends without sparing themselves at a time when the very relatives of the dying, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the calamity, were growing weary even of making their lamentations.

[6] But still it was more often those who had recovered who had pity for the dying and the sick, because they had learnt what it meant and were themselves by this time confident of immunity; for the disease never attacked the same man a second time, at least not with fatal results. And they were not only congratulated by everybody else, but themselves, in the excess of their joy at the moment, cherished also a fond fancy with regard to the rest of their lives that they would never be carried off by any other disease.

[1] The disease, then, to pass over many various points of peculiarity, as it happened to be different in one ease from another, was in its general nature such as I have described. And no other of those to which they were accustomed afflicted them besides this at that time; or whatever there was, it ended in this. And [of those who were seized by it] some died in neglect, others in the midst of every attention.

[2] And there was no one settled remedy, so to speak, by applying which they were to give them relief; for what did good to one, did harm to another. And no constitution showed itself fortified against it, in point either of strength or weakness;

[3] but it seized on all alike, even those that were treated with all possible regard to diet.

[4] But the most dreadful part of the whole calamity was the dejection felt whenever any one found himself sickening, (for by immediately falling into a feeling of despair, they abandoned themselves much more certainly to the disease, and did not resist it,) and the fact of their being charged with infection from attending on one another, and so dying like sheep. And it was this that caused the greatest mortality amongst them;

[5] for if through fear they were unwilling to visit each other, they perished from being deserted, and many houses were emptied for want of some one to attend to the sufferers; or if they did visit them, they met their death, and especially such as made any pretensions to goodness; for through a feeling of shame they were unsparing of themselves, in going into their friends' houses [when deserted by all others]; since even the members of the family were at length worn out by the very moanings of the dying, ¹ and were overcome by their excessive misery.

[6] Still more, however, than even these, did such as had escaped the disorder show pity for the dying and the suffering, both from their previous knowledge of what it was, and from their being now in no fear of it themselves; for it never seized the same person twice, so as to prove actually fatal. And such persons were felicitated by others; and themselves, in the excess of their present joy, entertained for the future also, to a certain degree, a vain hope that they would never now be carried off even by any other disease.

[1] Hic igitur morbus, ut omittam multa alia inusitata: atrocitatis, prout unicuique aliquid accidebat diversum ab eo, quod alteri contingebat, omnino specie talis fuit. Et aliud id temporis nullum ex consuetis malis homines infestabat; si quod autem exoreretur, in hoc desinebat.

[2] Moriebantur autem alii per incuriam, alii vero vel diligentissime curati. Nec ullum prorsus dixerim unum remedium exstitit, quod adhibitum prodesset; quod enim alteri profuerat, hoc ipsum alteri nocebat

[3] Et corpus nullum repertum est, quod, sive firmae sive infirmae valetudinis esset, tanti mali violentiae resistere posset, sed omnia pariter, et omni victus ratione utentia corripiebat.

[4] illud vero in toto hoc malo gravissimum erat, lum quod, simul ac quis se morbo correfptom sensisset, animo consternaretur (statim enim animo ad salutis desperationem conversi, multo magis se ipsos projiciebant, neque resistebant), tum etiam, quod alter ex alterius curatione infecti tanquau pecudes morerentur; atque haec fuit maxima stragis causa.

[5] Sive enim noluissent ob metum mutuo se invisere, deserti interibant, multaeque domus propter inopiam hominum , qui aegrotos curarent, exhaustae sunt; sive alteri ad alteros adissent, interibant, et praecipue qui virtutis laudem sibi vindicabant; pudore enim sibi ipsis non parcebant, ad amicos intrantes, siquidem vel ipsi domestici tandem lamentationes de iis qui moriebantur, defatigati omittebant, mali violentia superati.

[6] Illi tamen, qui evaserant, et eum, qui moriebatur, et eum, qui laborabat, magis miserabantur, tum quod hoc malum prius experti cognoscerent, tum etiam quod ipsi in tuto jam essent; bis enim eundem non corripiebat morbus, ita ut eum etiam interimeret. Et ab aliis beati censebantur, ipsique propter praesentem salutis insperatae laetitiam exsultantes quandam etiam in futurum levem spem habebant, se ne alio quidem morbo amplius unquam absumptum iri.

[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 —

Del rimanente per tralasciar molte altre stravaganze della pestilenza (secondo che in diverso modo accadeva in ciascuno) questa era in generale la qualità del morbo : nessuna delle altre consuete malattie affliggeva allora la città ; e se alcuna ve n’ era, andava a finire in questa. Morivano poi alcuni perchè non assistiti, altri benché perfettamente curati : nòn fuvvi, per cosi dire, medicamento alcuno che usato facesse profitto : ciò che avea giovato ad uno nuoceva ad un altro: nè valeva complessione robusta o debole contro la furia del male, il quale uccideva anche i più accuratamente medicati. Ma il più terribile della pestilenza era lo sgomento tosto che uno si sentiva malato ; poiché cadendo in disperazione, più di sé in verun modo non curavano , nè alcun riparo prendevano, e, per lo comunicare insieme in servendo agl’ infermi , incorporando il contagio , come pecore morivano : lo che accresceva assaissimo la mortalità. Se per paura ricusavano visitarsi scambievolmente, morivano privi d’ ogni assistenza, e molte case rimasero vuote per mancanza di serventi : all' incontro se si visitavano contraevano il morbo ; ciò che principalmente interveniva a quei che ambivano desser tenuti caritatevoli, perchè vergognando di risparmiarsi visitavano gli amici ; avvegnaché i parenti striasi , vinti finalmente dalla violenza del male, non valevano a sopportare i lamentevoli gridi dei moribondi. Ciò non pertanto più degli altri compassionavano il moribondo e Yinfermo quei che ne erano campati, tra perché avevano provato il male, e perchè erano ornai pieni di coraggio, essendo che la malattia non si appigliava mortalmente uua seconda volta ; ed erano felicitati dagli altri, mentre il gioia inaspettata della guarigione nutriva in essi speranza e conforto per l’avvenire, quasi non avessero ad esser morti da verun’altra malattia.