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The Plague of Athens killed tens of thousands, but its cause remains a mystery
Killing nearly a third of the population, an epidemic ripped through Athens in 430 B.C. Historic accounts and new technology are helping identify the true culprit.
This oil painting (ca 1652) by Michael Sweerts is called “Plague in an Ancient City,” and some scholars interpret it as a depiction of the Athenian plague that broke out in 430 B.C. Others, however, think it is a more general representation.
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