The word 'plague', in defining a lethal epidemic, was coined by the physician Galen (l. 130-210 CE) who lived through the Antonine Plague (165 - c. 180/190 CE) but the disease was recorded long before in relating the affliction of the Plague of Athens (429-426 BCE) which killed many of the city’s inhabitants, including the statesman Pericles (l. 495-429 BCE). The 1675–1676 Malta plague epidemic was a major outbreak of plague (Maltese: pesta) on the island of Malta, then ruled by the Order of St John.It occurred between December 1675 and August 1676 and it resulted in approximately 11,300 deaths, making it the deadliest epidemic in Maltese history. It is believed to have entered Athens through Piraeus, the city's port and sole source of food and supplies. Born in Athens in 495 B.C.E., Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of the very powerful Athens. We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its clinical features, and defining a possible underlying cause. New article: The Plague at Athens, 430-427 BCE In the 2nd year of the Peloponnesian War , 430 BCE, an outbreak of plague erupted in Athens . Therefore, changes in the environment, the pathogen, or the host population can dramatically impact the spread of a disease. The Plague of Athens was a devastating epidemic which hit the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece during the second year of the Peloponnesian War … Plague has caused some of the most-devastating epidemics in history. List of deaths caused by infectious disease; Duration: Human history: This article is a list of deaths caused by an infectious disease.Widespread non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer are not included. As stated in an article by the New World Encyclopedia, "In addition, crowding caused by the influx of refugees into the city led to inadequate food and water supplies and an increase in insects, lice, rats, and waste.” (“Plague of Athens… 109 Evans, Age, 164; also Whittow, 66. In fact, the New World Encyclopedia entry is a revised version of this article and it says so at the bottom of the page. The distribution of a particular disease is dynamic. (Gallery of Sir Frederick Cook, Richmond, UK) It is believed to have entered Athens through Piraeus, the city's port and sole source of … 108 For information on the mortality rate of the Black Death, see Ziegler, 232. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Epidemics Hate and Compassion from the Plague of Athens to AIDS Samuel K. Cohn, Jr. A study of the history of epidemics, stretching from the 5th century BCE to the 2014 Ebola crisis; Challenges the dominant hypothesis that epidemics invariably provoke hatred, blaming of the "other", and victimizing bearers of epidemic diseases Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases. Crawley). --Katolophyromai 14:14, 28 September 2017 (UTC) Plague, infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium transmitted from rodents to humans by the bite of infected fleas. The Plague of Athens was a devastating epidemic which hit 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.