History of the Wars, II.xxii-xxxiii:
DURING these times there was a pestilence, by which the whole human race came near to being
annihilated. Now in the case of all other scourges sent from heaven some explanation of a cause might
be given by daring men, such as the many theories propounded by those who are clever in these
matters; for they love to conjure up causes which are absolutely incomprehensible to man, and to
fabricate outlandish theories of natural philosophy knowing well that they are saying nothing sound
but considering it sufficient for them, if they completely deceive by their argument some of those
whom they meet and persuade them to their view. But for this calamity it is quite impossible either to
express in words or to conceive in thought any explanation, except indeed to refer it to God. For it did
not come in a part of the world nor upon certain men, nor did it confine itself to any season of the
year, so that from such circumstances it might be possible to find subtle explanations of a cause, but it
embraced the entire world, and blighted the lives of all men, though differing from one another in the
most marked degree, respecting neither sex nor age.
For much as men differ with regard to places in which they live, or in the law of their daily life, or in
natural bent, or in active pursuits, or in whatever else man differs from man, in the case of this disease
alone the difference availed naught. And it attacked some in the summer season, others in the winter,
and still others at the other times of the year. Now let each one express his own judgment concerning
the matter, both sophist and astrologer, but as for me, I shall proceed to tell where this disease
originated and the manner in which it destroyed men.
It started from the Egyptians who dwell in Pelusium. Then it divided and moved in one direction
towards Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and in the other direction it came to Palestine on the borders
of Egypt; and from there it spread over the whole world, always moving forward and travelling at times
favorable to it. For it seemed to move by fixed arrangement, and to tarry for a specified time in each
country, casting its blight slightingly upon none, but spreading in either direction right out to the ends
of the world, as if fearing lest some corner of the earth might escape it. For it left neither island nor
cave nor mountain ridge which had human inhabitants; and if it had passed by any land, either not
affecting the men there or touching them in indifferent fashion, still at a later time it came back; then
those who dwelt round about this land, whom formerly it had afflicted most sorely, it did not touch at
all, but it did not remove from the place in question until it had given up its just and proper tale of
dead, so as to correspond exactly to the number destroyed at the earlier time among those who dwelt
round about. And this disease always took its start from the coast, and from there went up to the
interior.
And in the second year it reached Byzantium in the middle of spring, where it happened that I was
staying at that time. And it came as follows. Apparitions of supernatural beings in human guise of
every description were seen by many persons, and those who encountered them thought that they
were struck by the man they had met in this or that part of the body, as it havened, and immediately
upon seeing this apparition they were seized also by the disease. Now at first those who met these
creatures tried to turn them aside by uttering the holiest of names and exorcising them in other ways
as well as each one could, but they accomplished absolutely nothing, for even in the sanctuaries where
the most of them fled for refuge they were dying constantly. But later on they were unwilling even to
give heed to their friends when they called to them,and they shut themselves up in their rooms and
pretended that they did not hear, although their doors were being beaten down, fearing, obviously,
that he who was calling was one of those demons. But in the case of some the pestilence did not come
on in this way, but they saw a vision in a dream and seemed to suffer the very same thing at the
hands of the creature who stood over them, or else to hear a voice foretelling to them that they were
written down in the number of those who were to die. But with the majority it came about that they
were seized by the disease without becoming aware of what was coming either through a waking
vision or a dream. And they were taken in the following manner. They had a sudden fever, some when
just roused from sleep, others while walking about, and others while otherwise engaged, without any
regard to what they were doing. And the body showed no change from its previous color, nor was it hot
DURING these times there was a pestilence, by which the whole human race came near to being
annihilated. Now in the case of all other scourges sent from heaven some explanation of a cause might
be given by daring men, such as the many theories propounded by those who are clever in these
matters; for they love to conjure up causes which are absolutely incomprehensible to man, and to
fabricate outlandish theories of natural philosophy knowing well that they are saying nothing sound
but considering it sufficient for them, if they completely deceive by their argument some of those
whom they meet and persuade them to their view. But for this calamity it is quite impossible either to
express in words or to conceive in thought any explanation, except indeed to refer it to God. For it did
not come in a part of the world nor upon certain men, nor did it confine itself to any season of the
year, so that from such circumstances it might be possible to find subtle explanations of a cause, but it
embraced the entire world, and blighted the lives of all men, though differing from one another in the
most marked degree, respecting neither sex nor age.
For much as men differ with regard to places in which they live, or in the law of their daily life, or in
natural bent, or in active pursuits, or in whatever else man differs from man, in the case of this disease
alone the difference availed naught. And it attacked some in the summer season, others in the winter,
and still others at the other times of the year. Now let each one express his own judgment concerning
the matter, both sophist and astrologer, but as for me, I shall proceed to tell where this disease
originated and the manner in which it destroyed men.
It started from the Egyptians who dwell in Pelusium. Then it divided and moved in one direction
towards Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and in the other direction it came to Palestine on the borders
of Egypt; and from there it spread over the whole world, always moving forward and travelling at times
favorable to it. For it seemed to move by fixed arrangement, and to tarry for a specified time in each
country, casting its blight slightingly upon none, but spreading in either direction right out to the ends
of the world, as if fearing lest some corner of the earth might escape it. For it left neither island nor
cave nor mountain ridge which had human inhabitants; and if it had passed by any land, either not
affecting the men there or touching them in indifferent fashion, still at a later time it came back; then
those who dwelt round about this land, whom formerly it had afflicted most sorely, it did not touch at
all, but it did not remove from the place in question until it had given up its just and proper tale of
dead, so as to correspond exactly to the number destroyed at the earlier time among those who dwelt
round about. And this disease always took its start from the coast, and from there went up to the
interior.
And in the second year it reached Byzantium in the middle of spring, where it happened that I was
staying at that time. And it came as follows. Apparitions of supernatural beings in human guise of
every description were seen by many persons, and those who encountered them thought that they
were struck by the man they had met in this or that part of the body, as it havened, and immediately
upon seeing this apparition they were seized also by the disease. Now at first those who met these
creatures tried to turn them aside by uttering the holiest of names and exorcising them in other ways
as well as each one could, but they accomplished absolutely nothing, for even in the sanctuaries where
the most of them fled for refuge they were dying constantly. But later on they were unwilling even to
give heed to their friends when they called to them,and they shut themselves up in their rooms and
pretended that they did not hear, although their doors were being beaten down, fearing, obviously,
that he who was calling was one of those demons. But in the case of some the pestilence did not come
on in this way, but they saw a vision in a dream and seemed to suffer the very same thing at the
hands of the creature who stood over them, or else to hear a voice foretelling to them that they were
written down in the number of those who were to die. But with the majority it came about that they
were seized by the disease without becoming aware of what was coming either through a waking
vision or a dream. And they were taken in the following manner. They had a sudden fever, some when
just roused from sleep, others while walking about, and others while otherwise engaged, without any
regard to what they were doing. And the body showed no change from its previous color, nor was it hot
