The Plague

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Boris Johnson at The Parthenon , in may 2012, shortly before the Olympic games in London

How Boris Johnson , who is recovering from Covid-19's, he is undoubtedly thinking of an earlier epidemic, says Oxford classicist Armand D'Angour - The Plague that hit Athens in 430 BC, and killed the Prime Minister , hero, Pericles . It is an episode that D is argued'Angour that many of the doctrines holds For Today .

Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson , is well versed in the history and culture of Ancient Greece . He knows that Western literature begins with a disease described an epidemic, which in the opening book of Homer's "Iliad " - the Boris likes to declaim scores of verses from memory. And his political hero for a long time the ancient Athenian leader Pericles , whose bust sits in his office in 10 Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has often quoted admiringly to the moving speech of Pericles in honour of The Dead after The First year of a destructive war against Sparta. And he is aware of the fact that Pericles there was a second famous speech a year later, after a devastating plague, probably a form of typhoid fever had killed about a third of the Athenian citizens.

Pericles , one of his prayers "

Both of these prayers", reported by The Contemporary historian Thucydides, to read his searing description of The Great plague be worthwhile for its literary virtuosity alone. The commentators today have drawn Parallels between the reactions of The Athenians , from the hero buyers to the vile and the valiant NHS - staff-and-fear, panic-today.

no one has pointed out is amazing, the fact that The Lesson Thucydides self-determined. What will not change, wrote The Historian , of Human Nature ; you can expect to react that the people, in a similar manner upon the occurrence of events such as those that occurred in The Past . He began his work, he says, because a clear understanding of The Events , he could lead lived by you, respond to similar events in the Future .

A bust of Pericles

model on modelled his method, which to The Most innovative medical practitioners of The Day , The Physician Hippocrates. To be enjoyed instead of the prescription of prayers and religious rituals, spells and incantations, or exotic herbs and quack remedies, Hippocrates and his time to visit sick patients were meticulously in light of your symptoms and track how you respond to prescribed treatments, such as sleep, exercise and regulation of diet. Boris Johnson was a patient in St. Thomas's hospital, and participating in a medical study is likely to be therapies for Covid-19 - thus, it may be that Hippocrates his thoughts, just as Pericles and Thucydides. compares

"One of the worst aspects of The Plague was the despair into which people had the disease were in search of you. Those who were convinced that they had no hope, were much faster to give up and die," says Thucydides. "Another is the rate of infection among those who flocked to the care and the doctor other: they died in droves, and the highest incidence of mortality had a... in addition, The Plague led to increased crime, because the criminals calculated to escape detection and punishment. was "

Boris Johnson makes a speech in Latin in 2007, as part of a campaign to ensure the could continue the teaching of classics in schools

What can we learn from these observations? To infect, first, that the people should avoid, be protected by close contacts and medical personnel and caregivers should. Secondly, that The Law must continue to be robust. And to maintain, thirdly, that it is important for people to have a positive state of mind. To achieve the measures of these objectives have been if, in some cases, subsequently, widely pursued in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

The Athenians who survived The Plague in 430 BC, with amazing resilience. Only 15 years later, they were able to mount the application of huge military and naval force, an offensive expedition overseas. But when The Plague struck, in Athens, had just recently moved in The War , and to keep track of a large contingent of troops that had been sent to the North of hostilities. Sad, they took the disease with them, and over 1,000 people died from it.

Socrates is not the Athens of match of ideal of beauty

One of The Soldiers on The Campaign of The Philosopher was Socrates . Not only did he survive infection, which was allegedly due to its physical toughness and discipline, but to return to his plague-ridden town, in which he said, were spared, to the sick and dying. Socrates had apparently recognized acquired immunity from his previous exposure to the disease, as Thucydides himself, who had survived infection, that this made him immune to reinfection.

It was thousands of years before medical immunity was properly understood, but The Historian means that in the historical review can is a type of vaccine. History must not remember just the of The Horrors of The Past . It can lead us to the adoption of precautionary measures, which remind us that a close monitoring is necessary in order to have a better response in the Future , and assure us that the Normal Life will return One Day .

in the Meantime, we also should keep in mind that history never repeats itself exactly, even if they offer valuable lessons for posterity.

The Parthenon was built during the Age Of Pericles

Pericles , the leading citizen in Athens for more than three decades until his death of The Plague at the Age Of 66 years. Until That Day , when he was lucky, kept in a remarkable degree. He had already maligned and admired, and bitter military campaigns, and court proceedings, and survived allegations of corruption and sexual misconduct had struggled to face. In his 50s, he entered a passionate and enduring relationship with The Brilliant young Aspasia of Miletus, who bore him a child, and helped him to compose his magnificent Eulogy of The War dead.

the Prime Minister of great Britain is 55. He has experienced stern challenges, the failure as well and success and has benefited greatly from the luck, no less than political skills. If, hopefully, he makes a full recovery from Covid-19, maybe busts of The Historian Thucydides, The Physician Hippocrates, and The Philosopher Socrates , the words of Pericles , on his mantelpiece in No. 10 Downing Street.

Prof Armand D'Angour, the author of Socrates in Love: The Making Of a philosopher, at the opening gala of the Olympic games in London in 2012

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history, boris johnson, coronavirus pandemic, greece, athens

Source of news: bbc.com