Epidemics. 197 



could. And many, from want of proper means, in consequence 

 of so many of their friends having already died, had recourse 

 to shameless modes of sepulture ; for on the piles prepared for 

 others, some, anticipating those who had raised them, would 

 lay their own dead relative and set fire to them ; and others, 

 while the body of a stranger was burning, would throw on 

 the top of it the one they were carrying, and go away. 



" In other respects also the plague was the origin of lawless 

 conduct in the city, to a greater extent [than it had before 

 existed] . For deeds which formerly men hid from view, so 

 as not to do them just as they pleased, they now more readily 

 ventured on ; since they saw the change so sudden in the case 

 of those who were prosperous and quickly perished, and of 

 those who before had had nothing, and at once came into 

 possession of the property of the dead. So they resolved to 

 take their enjoyment quickly, and with a sole view to grati- 

 fication ; regarding their lives and their riches alike as things 

 of a day. As for taking trouble about what was thought 

 honourable, no one was forward to do it ; deeming it uncer- 

 tain whether, before he had attained to it, he would not be 

 cut off; but everything that was immediately pleasant, and 

 that which was conducive to it by any means whatever, this 

 was laid down to be both honourable and expedient. And 

 fear of gods, or law of men, there was none to stop them ; 

 for with regard to the former they esteemed it all the same 

 whether they worshipped them or not, from seeing all alike 

 perishing ; and with regard to their offences [against the 

 latter], no one expected to live till judgment should be 

 passed on him, and so to pay the penalty of them ; but they 

 thought a far heavier sentence was impending in that which 

 had already been passed upon them ; and that before it fell 

 on them, it was right to have some enjoyment of life. 



" Such was the calamity which the Athenians had met 

 with, and by which they were afflicted, their men dying 

 within the city, and their land being wasted without. In 

 their misery they remembered this verse amongst other 

 things, as was natural they should ; the old men saying that 

 it had been uttered long ago 



" 'A Dorian war shall come, and plague with it.'" 



Now there was a dispute amongst them [and some asserted] 



that it was not a ' plague ' \loimos] that had been mentioned 



in the verse by the men of former times, but * a famine,' 



limos] ; the opinion, however, at the present time naturally 



