Did the Spartans cause the plague in Athens?

In a way they did -- when they forced the Athenians to batten down the hatchet if you will for a long period as the Spartans surrounded the city. read more

In a way they did -- when they forced the Athenians to batten down the hatchet if you will for a long period as the Spartans surrounded the city. That caused over crowding in a city not really designed to house extra people from the country side or visitors from other city states. read more

The Plague of Athens, Michiel Sweerts, c. 1652-1654 The Plague of Athens (Greek: Λοιμός των Αθηνών) was an epidemic that devastated the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece during the second year of the Peloponnesian War (430 BC) when an Athenian victory still seemed within reach. read more

At the end, Athens was crushed and reduced to a shadow of its former glory. While they did try to rally and mount a final attack in 415 BCE, they were never able to defeat the Spartans. It is still not known what the Plague of Athens actually was. Scientists are fairly certain that it was not caused by the bubonic plague as was thought in the past. read more