Abstract
This article explores the sensory experience of being in Athens during the plague (430–426 bce). By approaching the ancient epidemic from a perspective of sensory archaeology, we discover that the intensity of suffering caused by the two-pronged calamity of overcrowding inside the city walls plus the plague was likely exacerbated by unexpected sensory stimuli in once-familiar places (Foucault's "heterotopia"), thereby causing a profound sense of disorientation for the inhabitants. The calamity transposed Athenian pleasure gardens, monument-lined streets, and sanctuaries from places of delight into a heterotopia of decay and death.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have