As the world endures a pandemic, we look to a plague of the past: that which struck Athens early in the Peloponnesian War. And we do so with the aid of Neville Morley, professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Exeter. Where did the plague come from? How did it affect the war? How did it change Athenian society? We explore these questions and more in a fascinating extended conversation. Neville is the perfect guide for these matters, having written many books and articles on different aspects of ancient history and its modern influence, including Roman imperialism, ancient trade, and the ancient Greek historian Thucydides.

Further reading:

• Neville Morley, A User's Guide to Thucydides, Parts One and Two
• Thucydides (trans. Jeremy Mynott), The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians
• Thucydides (trans. Martin Hammond), The Peloponnesian War