User:Abbigale Gonda/Plague of Athens

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The Plague of Athens (Λοιμὸς τῶν Ἀθηνῶν, Loimos tôn Athênôn) was an epidemic that devastated the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece during the second year (430 BC) of the Peloponnesian War when an Athenian victory still seemed within reach. The plague killed an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people, around one quarter of the population, and is believed to have entered Athens through Piraeus, the city's port and sole source of food and supplies. Much of the eastern Mediterranean also saw an outbreak of the disease, albeit with less impact.

The war along with the plague had serious effects on Athens' society, resulting in a lack of adherence to laws and religious belief; in response laws became stricter, resulting in the punishment of non-citizens claiming to be Athenian. Among the victims of the plague was Pericles, the leader of Athens. The plague returned twice more, in 429 BC and in the winter of 427/426 BC. Some 30 pathogens have been suggested as having caused the plague.

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The Athenians thought that the Spartans could have poisoned their water supply to kill them in order to win the Peloponnesian War. The Spartans somehow were unaffected by the plague, which may have been a reason for the Athenian's suspicion. It has been noted that the Plague of Athens was the worst sickness of Classic Greece

This resulted in the passing of the Citizenship Law of Pericles. This law stated that only those born to two Athenian parents could be considered an Athenian citizen, reducing both their number of potential soldiers and amount of political power, but also a decline in treatment and rights for metics in Athens.