Final answer:
The Plague of Athens, responsible for the demise of a quarter of the Athenian troops during the Peloponnesian War, was caused by the Salmonella enterica bacterium, leading to typhoid fever, and not by a mortal man.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option is C:
The mortal man responsible for the plague against the army was not a result of any individual's actions but rather a widespread disease that affected the Athenian troops. The Plague of Athens was due to a pathogenic bacterium causing typhoid fever.he mortal man responsible for the plague against the Athenian army was (c) Achilles. In 430 B.C., the Plague of Athens killed one-quarter of the Athenian troops fighting in the Peloponnesian War. The source of the plague was recently identified as the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, which causes typhoid fever.
In the context of the great Peloponnesian War in 430 B.C., the Athenian army suffered greatly from this plague. It's crucial to differentiate between mythological accounts, such as those involving Greek heroes like Achilles or Odysseus, and historical events like the Plague of Athens, which had natural causes as suggested by figures like Hippocrates. The identification of the bacterium from DNA in teeth from a mass grave points to a natural cause, significantly typhoid fever, which still affects populations today.