Gli aspetti metaforici e storici della peste nella letteratura greca antica: Omero, Sofocle, Tucidide

Abstract

The plague as a terrifying phenomenon affecting people has been a constant topos in literature since antiquity. Its nature and the mysterious way in which it appeared attracted the attention and imagination of poets, who explained it as a punishment sent by the gods for the failings of people who broke the divine commandments and norms. This is how it was depicted by Homer, followed by the tragedians. However, we owe one of the most poignant images of this disease to Thucydides, the Greek historian of the 5th century BC. He created a faithful and at the same time shocking description of it, because it exposed the most shameful aspects of “anthopeia physis”, human nature. The signalled issues will become the subject of description in this article.