Memorialization in Thucydides’ Plague Episode

Abstract

Abstract Thucydides’ detailed description of the Athenian plague, which is estimated to have killed from a quarter to a third of Athens’ population has been approached from a variety of scholarly perspectives, yet its memorializing function is still under-explored. This article contends that Thucydides’ plague episode serves an inherent commemorative function and memorializes the plague through narrative emphasis, pathos, ἐνάργεια, and his focus on abortive burial rites.