I HAVE BOOKS on my shelves that teach me lessons from generations ago. One of those books is written by Thucydides who explains how the citizens of Athens survived a major pandemic in the fifth century. The story is wonderfully told during a two part Ideas Podcast from the CBC. (Subscribe to Ideas from the CBC.)
There are so many parallels between the way the citizens of Athens managed their pandemic and the way Americans are maneuvering through the pandemic. We can learn from history. Or not. I recommend listening to the two part CBC series on Thucydides, even if you've read the history of the Peloponnesian War, a conflict fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). SPOILER ALERT: This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region.
Or you could dive into a good book. Or Subscribe to Ideas.
Whatever you do, don't take advice about global pandemics from your Facebook newsfeed.
[Bernie Goldbach teaches creative media for business on the Clonmel Digital Campus of the Limerick Institute of Technology. He lusts for high quality leather-bound hardbacks.]
