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was advancing through the country. And in the second year it arrived in Byzantium about the middle of spring, where it also hap2.22.10 pened that I was staying at that time. And it came about in this way. phantoms of demons were seen by many, in every human form, and whoever happened upon them, thought they were struck by the man they had met, in whatever part of the body it might chance, and at the same time as they saw this 2.22.11 phantom they were immediately seized by the disease. At first, then, those who had met them tried to ward them off, both by reciting the most sacred names and by performing other rites of purification, as each was able, yet they accomplished absolutely nothing, since even in the sanctuaries 2.22.12 most of those who took refuge perished. But later they did not deign even to listen to their friends calling, but shutting themselves up in their chambers, they pretended not to hear, although their doors were being beaten upon, clearly fearing that the one calling might be one of the demons. 2.22.13 But for some the plague did not come on in this way, but seeing a vision in a dream, they seemed to suffer this same thing from the one who appeared, or to hear a voice prophesying to them that they were enrolled in the 2.22.14 number of those who were to die. But for most people it happened that they were seized by the 2.22.15 disease after having perceived what was to come neither awake nor in a dream. And they were seized in the following manner. They suddenly became feverish, some when they had just woken from sleep, others while walking about, and others while doing some other thing. 2.22.16 And the body did not change from its former color, nor was it hot as if a fever had set in, nor indeed did any inflammation occur, but the fever was so mild from the beginning until evening that it gave no impression of danger either to the sick themselves or to a doctor touching them. 2.22.17 For indeed, no one who had contracted it seemed likely to die from it. But on the same day for some, for others on the next, and for others not many days later, a bubo arose, not only in that place where the part of the body below the abdomen is called the groin, but also inside the armpit, and for some also by the ears and wherever on the thighs it happened to be. 2.22.18 Now, up to this point, things happened in almost the same way for all who were seized by the disease; but from this point on, I cannot say whether the difference in symptoms occurred due to the difference in bodies, or however it pleased the one who brought on the disease. 2.22.19 For upon some came a deep coma, and upon others a sharp delirium, and both groups suffered in ways suited to their illness. For those on whom the coma fell, having forgotten all their usual habits, seemed to s2.22.20 leep constantly. And if anyone cared for them, they would eat at intervals, but some, being neglected, died immediately from lack of food. 2.22.21 Those, however, who were seized by the affliction of delirium were possessed by sleeplessness and great delusion, and suspecting that some were coming upon them to destroy them, they fell into a state of turmoil and shouting out 2.22.22 something dreadful, they rushed to flee. And those who cared for them, seized by unceasing toil, suffered incurable things continually. 2.22.23 For this reason, everyone pitied them no less than the sufferers, not because they were oppressed by the plague from approaching them (for it did not happen that either a doctor or a private person contracted this affliction by touching the sick or the dead, since many, either burying or caring for those who were no relations of theirs, continually survived this service contrary to expectation, while many died immediately when the disease fell upon them without any apparent cause), but because they were beset by much hardship. 2.22.24 For they would put back again those who fell out of their beds and rolled on the floor, and they would force, by pushing and pulling back, those who were eager to throw themselves out of their dwellings. 2.22.25 And if any water was nearby, they wanted to throw themselves into it, not so much from a desire to drink (for many rushed into the sea), but 2.22.26 the cause was chiefly the disease of the mind. And they had great difficulty also concerning food. For they did not readily accept it. And many perished from lack of a caregiver, or
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ἀνέβαινε χώραν. δευτέρῳ δὲ ἔτει ἐς Βυζάντιον μεσοῦντος τοῦ ἦρος ἀφίκετο, ἔνθα καὶ ἐμοὶ ἐπιδημεῖν τηνικαῦτα ξυν2.22.10 έβη. ἐγίνετο δὲ ὧδε. φάσματα δαιμόνων πολλοῖς ἐς πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπου ἰδέαν ὤφθη, ὅσοι τε αὐτοῖς παραπίπτοιεν, παίεσθαι ᾤοντο πρὸς τοῦ ἐντυχόντος ἀνδρὸς, ὅπη παρατύχοι τοῦ σώματος, ἅμα τε τὸ φάσμα τοῦτο 2.22.11 ἑώρων καὶ τῇ νόσῳ αὐτίκα ἡλίσκοντο. κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν οὖν οἱ παραπεπτωκότες ἀποτρέπεσθαι αὐτὰ ἐπειρῶντο, τῶν τε ὀνομάτων ἀποστοματίζοντες τὰ θειότατα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐξοσιούμενοι, ὡς ἕκαστός πη ἐδύνατο, ἤνυον μέντοι τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν, ἐπεὶ κἀν τοῖς ἱεροῖς 2.22.12 οἱ πλεῖστοι καταφεύγοντες διεφθείροντο. ὕστερον δὲ οὐδὲ τοῖς φίλοις καλοῦσιν ἐπακούειν ἠξίουν, ἀλλὰ καθείρξαντες αὑτοὺς ἐν τοῖς δωματίοις, ὅτι δὴ οὐκ ἐπαΐοιεν προσεποιοῦντο, καίπερ ἀρασσομένων αὐτοῖς τῶν θυρῶν, δειμαίνοντες δηλονότι μὴ δαιμόνων τις 2.22.13 ὁ καλῶν εἴη. τισὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ὁ λοιμὸς ἐπεγίνετο, ἀλλ' ὄψιν ὀνείρου ἰδόντες ταὐτὸ τοῦτο πρὸς τοῦ ἐπιστάντος πάσχειν ἐδόκουν, ἢ λόγου ἀκούειν προλέγοντος σφίσιν ὅτι δὴ ἐς τῶν τεθνηξομένων τὸν 2.22.14 ἀριθμὸν ἀνάγραπτοι εἶεν. τοῖς δὲ πλείστοις οὔτε ὕπαρ οὔτε ὄναρ αἰσθομένοις τοῦ ἐσομένου εἶτα τῇ 2.22.15 νόσῳ ξυνέβη ἁλῶναι. ἡλίσκοντο δὲ τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἐπύρεσσον ἄφνω, οἱ μὲν ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγηγερμένοι, οἱ δὲ περιπάτους ποιούμενοι, οἱ δὲ ἄλλο ὅ τι δὴ πράσσοντες. 2.22.16 καὶ τὸ μὲν σῶμα οὔτε τι διήλλασσε τῆς προτέρας χροιᾶς οὔτε θερμὸν ἦν, ἅτε πυρετοῦ ἐπιπεσόντος, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ φλόγωσις ἐπεγίνετο, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἀβληχρός τις ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε καὶ ἄχρις ἑσπέρας ὁ πυρετὸς ἦν ὥστε μήτε τοῖς νοσοῦσιν αὐτοῖς μήτε ἰατρῷ ἁπτομένῳ δό2.22.17 κησιν κινδύνου παρέχεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ οὖν οὐδέ τις τελευτᾶν τῶν περιπεπτωκότων ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔδοξεν. ἡμέρᾳ δὲ τοῖς μὲν τῇ αὐτῇ, τοῖς δὲ τῇ ἐπιγενομένῃ, ἑτέροις δὲ οὐ πολλαῖς ὕστερον βουβὼν ἐπῆρτο, οὐκ ἐνταῦθα μόνον, ἔνθα καὶ τὸ τοῦ σώματος μόριον, ὃ δὴ τοῦ ἤτρου ἔνερθέν ἐστι, βουβὼν κέκληται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς μάλης ἐντὸς, ἐνίοις δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὰ ὦτα καὶ ὅπου ποτὲ τῶν μηρῶν ἔτυχε. 2.22.18 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄχρι τοῦδε πᾶσιν ὁμοίως σχεδόν τι τοῖς τῇ νόσῳ ἁλισκομένοις ξυνέβαινε· τὰ δὲ ἐνθένδε οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν πότερον ἐν τῷ διαλλάσσοντι τῶν σωμάτων καὶ ἡ διαφορὰ τῶν ξυμπιπτόντων ἐγίνετο, ἢ ὅπη ποτὲ βουλομένῳ εἴη τῷ τὴν νόσον ἐπαγαγόντι. 2.22.19 ἐπεγίνετο γὰρ τοῖς μὲν κῶμα βαθὺ, τοῖς δὲ παραφροσύνη ὀξεῖα, ἑκάτεροί τε τὰ πρὸς τὴν νόσον ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντα ἔπασχον· οἷς μὲν γὰρ τὸ κῶμα ἐπέκειτο, πάντων ἐπιλελησμένοι τῶν εἰωθότων σφίσιν ἐς ἀεὶ καθεύ2.22.20 δειν ἐδόκουν. καὶ εἰ μέν τις αὐτῶν ἐπιμελοῖτο, μεταξὺ ἤσθιον, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἀπημελημένοι ἀπορίᾳ τροφῆς 2.22.21 εὐθὺς ἔθνησκον. οἱ μέντοι τῷ τῆς παραφροσύνης ἁλόντες κακῷ ἀγρυπνίᾳ τε καὶ φαντασίᾳ πολλῇ εἴχοντο, καί τινας ὑποπτεύοντες ἐπιέναι σφίσιν ὡς δὴ ἀπολοῦντας ἐς ταραχήν τε καθίσταντο καὶ ἀναβοῶντες 2.22.22 ἐξαίσιον οἷον ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. οἵ τε αὐτοὺς θεραπεύοντες καμάτῳ ἀπαύστῳ ἐχόμενοι τὰ ἀνήκεστα ἐς 2.22.23 ἀεὶ ἔπασχον. διὸ δὴ ἅπαντες αὐτοὺς οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ τοὺς πονουμένους ᾠκτίζοντο, οὐχ ὅτι τῷ λοιμῷ ἐπιέζοντο ἐκ τοῦ προσιέναι (οὔτε γὰρ ἰατρῷ οὔτε ἰδιώτῃ μεταλαχεῖν τοῦ κακοῦ τοῦδε τῶν νοσούντων ἢ τῶν τετελευτηκότων ἁπτομένῳ ξυνέβη, ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἀεὶ καὶ τοὺς οὐδὲν σφίσι προσήκοντας ἢ θάπτοντες ἢ θεραπεύοντες ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ ὑπουργίᾳ παρὰ δόξαν ἀντεῖχον, πολλοὶ δὲ τῆς νόσου ἀπροφασίστως αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεσούσης εὐθὺς ἔθνησκον), ἀλλ' ὅτι ταλαιπωρίᾳ 2.22.24 πολλῇ εἴχοντο. ἔκ τε γὰρ τῶν στρωμάτων ἐκπίπτοντας καὶ καλινδουμένους ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος ἀντικαθίστων αὖθις καὶ ῥιπτεῖν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν οἰκημάτων ἐφιεμένους 2.22.25 ὠθοῦντές τε καὶ ἀνθέλκοντες ἐβιάζοντο. ὕδωρ τε οἷς παρατύχοι, ἐμπεσεῖν ἤθελον οὐ δὴ οὐχ ὅσον τοῦ ποτοῦ ἐπιθυμίᾳ (ἐς γὰρ θάλασσαν οἱ πολλοὶ ὥρμηντο), ἀλλ' 2.22.26 αἴτιον ἦν μάλιστα ἡ τῶν φρενῶν νόσος. πολὺς δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ περὶ τὰς βρώσεις ἐγένετο πόνος. οὐ γὰρ εὐπετῶς προσίεντο ταύτας. πολλοί τε ἀπορίᾳ τοῦ θεραπεύοντος διεφθάρησαν, ἢ