History of Animal Plagues. 13 



herds and flocks, fled for safety from the plundering tribes within 

 the walls of the imperial capital. As a result of the over-crowd- 

 ing and the other misfortunes, disease appeared about the calends 

 of September, and caused great mortality until the end of Novem- 

 ber. Horses and cattle were first attacked, then man. Dlony- 

 sius writes : ' When first attacked by this disease, the horses and 

 the oxen fell victims. After them goats and sheep succumbed, 

 so that it was necessary to destroy all four-footed beasts. Then 

 it (the pestilence) attacked herdsmen and farmers, and passing 

 over the whole countrv, at length fell upon the city.' ^ 



(a.m. 5160.) To show the mildness of the season in Ire- 

 land, we are told that in the reign of Conaire there was abund- 

 ance of nuts. 'The cattle were without keepers in Ireland in 

 his reign, on account of the greatness of the peace and concord. 

 The wind did not take a hair off" the cattle from the middle of 

 autumn to the middle of spring. Little but the trees bent from 

 the greatness of their fruit during his time.' ^ 



B.C. 453. According to Llvy and Dlonvslus, the pestilence 

 loimikie (probably anthrax) destroyed nearly one-half the in- 

 habitants of Rome as well as their cattle. The disease spread to 

 the ^Equl, wSablnes, and Volsci, and inflicted great loss on them, 

 killing their herds and flocks, and causing such havoc that the 

 land was left uncultivated, and famine thereby induced. Another 

 plague succeeded this, which lasted from B.C. 443 to 438.'' 



B.C. 431. At Rome a disease appeared among animals in 

 this year, which extended to mankind. Llvy writes concerning it : 

 ' Great suflering prevailed that year in consequence of drought. 

 Not only were the heavens without water, but the earth, being 

 deprived of its natural moisture, hardly su])plied the perennial 

 rivers. Everywhere the cattle died from thirst around dry foun- 

 tains and streams. The murrain having ceased, common con- 

 tagious diseases seized the people; those residing in the country 

 were first affected, after which the city was ravaged. Nor were 

 their bodies alone affected by the pestilence, for their minds were 

 also assailed by manifold religious ceremonies, most of them of 



toreiirn ori<i;in.' * 



c o 



' Op. cit. ix. 67. 2 Annals of the Four Masters. 



3 Livv. Lib. ill. 32. Diouys. Lil). x. 53. •» Livy. Lib. iv. 25, 30. 



