TY - JOUR T1 - Are we Athens or Florence? COVID-19 in historical context JF - Family Medicine and Community Health JO - Fam Med Com Health DO - 10.1136/fmch-2020-000811 VL - 9 IS - 1 SP - e000811 AU - Benjamin R Doolittle Y1 - 2021/01/01 UR - http://fmch.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000811.abstract N2 - We have been here before. In 430 BCE, a plague struck Athens, killing as much as 25% of the population. In 1347 CE, the bubonic plague afflicted western Europe for 4 years, killing as much as 50% of the population. The plague of Athens led to a collapse of their religion, cultural norms and democracy. In contrast, the bubonic plague led eventually to the Renaissance, a growth of art, science and humanism. As we contend with the COVID-19 global pandemic, will we become Athens or Florence? ER -