THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANCIENTS 

 REGARDING THE PROPAGATION OF 

 DISEASE BY FLIES AND RODENTS 



By JOSEPH OFFORD 

 Member of the Associazione Archeologica Romana 



The remarkable progress achieved in recent years in our know- 

 ledge of the civilisation and daily life of the great nations of 

 antiquity, by means of the recovery of their records either upon 

 monuments or in manuscripts, has provided pertinent proofs 

 that the people of their eras were aware of the danger of diseases 

 being distributed by means of animals and insects. 



That in those early days persons comprehended, as we now 

 do, the propagation of epidemics by means of parasites and 

 germs, contact with which was produced by vermin and 

 flies, is not probable. But that they had a certain well-founded, 

 although perhaps only vague, knowledge of the foes who con- 

 veyed to mankind various maladies is now quite ascertained. 

 So also we now possess evidence indicating that they used the 

 best measures then familiar to them to minimise the danger. 

 An excellent instance of this is connected with one of the 

 Western Asiatic Cypriote and Hellenic deities, Apollo, one role 

 of whose many phases was that of a pestilence god. 



As Apollo Smyntheus, his cult was intimately linked with 

 the worship of a similar deity Eshmun, the Phoenician and 

 Punic god who by the classics was equated with Asklepios. To 

 Apollo Smyntheus we have long known that mice, and sometimes 

 rats, were presented as votive offerings. Statues representing 

 this type of Apollo often depict him grasping one or other of 

 these rodents ; or, they are carved as accessories to his figure. 



That the connection of rats with disease was apparent to 

 the ancients is demonstrated by the story related by Herodotus 

 concerning the destruction of Sennacherib's army by a plague 

 of them ; thus distinctly accepting the modern view as to these 

 carriers of contagion. 



/ 570 



