Why Ghosts Gave Comfort to the Ancient Greeks
Classical Playwrights Used Spirits to Deliver Wisdom and Counsel—Some of It Still Relevant Today
The pandemic struck at a time when people’s confidence in their government was already shaky. Many decried the lack of attention being paid to information about public health and safety, while others distrusted what was being said by public health and safety officials. Some looked to religion for answers, while secular observers cited factors such as overcrowding in urban areas and lack of proper precautions, like basic sanitary measures, to explain the disease’s spread. Amid the lack of faith in authorities and institutions, there was concern that democracy itself hung …