Coronavirus: What Boris Johnson’s Greek hero teaches us about epidemics

As Boris Johnson recovers from Covid-19, he’ll undoubtedly be considering of an earlier epidemic, says Oxford classicist Armand D’Angour – the plague that hit Athens in 430 BC, and killed the prime minister’s hero, Pericles. It is an episode, D’Angour argues, that holds many classes for at the moment.

Britain’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is properly versed the historical past and tradition of historical Greece. He is aware of that Western literature begins with a plague, the epidemic described within the opening ebook of Homer’s Iliad – of which Boris can fortunately declaim scores of verses from reminiscence. And his political hero has lengthy been the traditional Athenian chief, Pericles, whose bust sits in his workplace in 10 Downing Avenue.

The prime minister has typically quoted admiringly the stirring oration given by Pericles to honour the lifeless after the primary 12 months of a harmful battle in opposition to Sparta. And he shall be properly conscious that Pericles gave a second well-known speech a 12 months later, after a devastating plague, most likely a type of typhus, had killed round one third of Athens’ residents.

Each orations had been reported by the up to date historian Thucydides, whose searing description of the Nice Plague is value studying for its literary virtuosity alone. Commentators at the moment have drawn parallels between the responses of Athenians – starting from the heroic to the contemptible – and people of valiant NHS employees and scared panic-buyers at the moment.

However surprisingly, none has drawn consideration to the lesson Thucydides himself supposed. What does not change, wrote the historian, is human nature; you may count on individuals to react in related methods once they encounter occasions like people who have occurred up to now. He launched into his work, he says, as a result of a transparent grasp of the occasions he was dwelling by way of may information responses to related occasions in future.

He modelled his methodology on that of probably the most modern medical practitioner of the day, the doctor Hippocrates. Moderately than prescribing prayers and non secular rituals, spells and incantations, or unique herbs and quack treatments, Hippocrates and his contemporaries had been visiting sick sufferers, meticulously noting their signs, and retaining observe of how they responded to prescribed remedies similar to sleep, train, and the regulation of weight loss program. Boris Johnson was a affected person at St Thomas’ hospital, and is more likely to have been taking part in a medical trial that compares remedies for Covid-19 – so it could be that Hippocrates will come to his thoughts, in addition to Pericles and Thucydides.

“One of many worst elements of the plague was the despair into which individuals fell on discovering that they had the illness. Those that had been satisfied that they had no hope had been a lot faster to surrender and die,” noticed Thucydides. “One other was the speed of an infection amongst those that flocked to take care of and physician to others: they died in droves, and had the best incidence of mortality… As well as, the plague led to better crime, since criminals calculated on escaping detection and penalties.”

What may we study from these observations? First, that folks ought to keep away from turning into contaminated by shut contact, and that medical employees and carers needs to be protected. Secondly, that the regulation should proceed to perform robustly. And thirdly, that it will be significant for individuals to protect a constructive frame of mind. Measures to attain these goals have been, if in some circumstances belatedly, broadly pursued within the UK and elsewhere.

The Athenians survived the plague of 430 BC with astonishing resilience. Simply 15 years later they had been capable of muster an enormous army and naval power to mount an offensive expedition abroad. However when the plague struck, Athens had solely not too long ago gone to battle, and a big contingent of troops had been despatched north to pursue hostilities. Sadly, they took the illness with them, and over 1,000 males died from it.

One of many troopers serving on the marketing campaign was the thinker, Socrates. Not solely did he survive an infection, allegedly because of his bodily toughness and self-discipline, however on return to his plague-ridden metropolis he was stated to have tended unscathed to the sick and dying. Socrates had evidently acquired immunity from his earlier publicity to the illness, simply as Thucydides himself, who had survived an infection, recognised that this made him immune from reinfection.

It was to be hundreds of years earlier than medical immunity was correctly understood, however the historian implies that historic hindsight can itself be a type of vaccine. Historical past needn’t merely recall the horrors of the previous. It may possibly information us in the direction of adopting precautions, remind us that correct statement is important to make sure a greater response in future, and reassure us that standard life will at some point return.

In the meantime, we must also keep in mind that historical past by no means repeats itself precisely, even when it may supply precious classes for posterity.

Pericles had been the main citizen in Athens for over three a long time earlier than his demise from the plague on the age of 66. Till that day his luck had held to a exceptional diploma. He had been admired and bitterly reviled, had fought army campaigns and confronted authorized trials, and had survived accusations of corruption and sexual misconduct. In his 50s he entered right into a passionate and enduring relationship with the good younger Aspasia of Miletus, who bore him a baby and helped him compose his magnificent funeral oration to the battle lifeless.

Britain’s prime minister is 55. He has confronted stern challenges, has skilled failure as properly and success, and has benefited drastically from luck, a minimum of political talent. When, as is hoped, he makes a full restoration from Covid-19, maybe busts of the historian Thucydides, the doctor Hippocrates, and the thinker Socrates, ought to be a part of that of Pericles on his mantelpiece in No.10 Downing Avenue.

Prof Armand D’Angour, the writer of Socrates in Love: The making of a thinker, wrote the Greek ode that Boris Johnson recited on the opening gala of the London Olympics in 2012

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