Plague of Athens
The Plague of Athens was an epidemic which devastated the polis of Athens during the Peloponnesian War, starting in 430 BCE and lasting until 426 BCE. The plague killed around 25% of the city's population and severely weakened Athens politically, ruining any chance the polis might have had of winning the war.[1]
Perikles, the de facto leader of Athens, contracted the disease and was forced to remain in his residence for much of the duration of the plague. His political rival Kleon, a secret Sage of the Cult of Kosmos, took advantage of this to rally the people behind him,[2] while the Cult's champion Deimos secretly murdered Perikles to allow Kleon to assume control of the polis. Fortunately, Perikles' partner Aspasia was able to escape Athens with the help of the misthios Kassandra.[3]
Hippokrates, a healer who was based in Athens at the time, deduced that the plague was being spread via the feces of the infected and sought to combat this by burning the bodies of those infected who had passed. The Followers of Ares, seeing the cremation of the dead as sacrilege, attempted to stop him, but Kassandra assisted Hippokrates and together they successfully prevented the spread of the epidemic.[4]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Kassandra returning to a plague-struck Athens
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People gathering outside Perikles' residence
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Kleon giving a speech to an angry crowd
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Victims of the plague
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Bodies being burned during the plague
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first appearance)
- The Fate of Atlantis: Torment of Hades (simulation only)
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑
Plague of Athens on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Abandoned By the Gods
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Athens's Last Hope
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – A Growing Sickness
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