Supernatural ( season 13 ) - wikipedia Supernatural ( season 13 ) Jump to : navigation , search Supernatural ( season 13 ) Promotional poster Country of origin United States No. of episodes 20 Release Original network The CW Original release October 12 , 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 12 ) -- present Season chronology ← Previous Season 12 List of Supernatural episodes The thirteenth season of Supernatural , an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric Kripke , premiered on October 12 , 2017 , on The CW and is set to conclude on May 17 , 2018 . The season will consist of 23 episodes and air on Thursdays at 8 : 00 pm ( ET ) . This is the second season with Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer as showrunners . This season features a backdoor pilot to a possible spin - off series called Wayward Sisters , starring Kim Rhodes as Sheriff Jody Mills , Briana Buckmaster as Sheriff Donna Hanscum , Kathryn Newton as Claire Novak , Katherine Ramdeen as Alex Jones , Clark Backo as Patience Turner and Yadira Guevara - Prip as Kaia Nieves . The season also features an animated crossover episode with Scooby - Doo . Contents ( hide ) 1 Cast 1.1 Starring 1.2 Special guest stars 1.3 Guest stars 2 Episodes 3 Production 4 Reception 4.1 Ratings 5 References 6 External links Cast ( edit ) Starring ( edit ) Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer Alexander Calvert as Jack Misha Collins as Castiel Special guest stars ( edit ) Loretta Devine as Missouri Moseley Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer Felicia Day as Charlie Bradbury Guest stars ( edit ) Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester Ruth Connell as Rowena Osric Chau as Kevin Tran Kim Rhodes as Sheriff Jody Mills Briana Buckmaster as Sheriff Donna Hanscum Kathryn Newton as Claire Novak Katherine Ramdeen as Alex Jones Clark Backo as Patience Turner Yadira Guevara - Prip as Kaia Nieves Christian Keyes as Michael Keith Szarabajka as Donatello Redfield Courtney Ford as Kelly Kline Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Asmodeus Lisa Berry as Billie David Haydn - Jones as Arthur Ketch Danneel Ackles as Sister Jo / Anael Brendan Taylor as Doug Stover Richard Speight Jr. as Gabriel / Loki Chad Rook as Zachariah Erica Cerra as Dumah Amanda Tapping as Naomi Episodes ( edit ) See also : List of Supernatural episodes No . overall No. in season Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod . code U.S. viewers ( millions ) 265 `` Lost and Found '' Phil Sgriccia Andrew Dabb October 12 , 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 12 ) T13. 20551 2.10 Lucifer 's son Jack seems unsure of himself and the world . Dean tries to shoot him and he knocks out both Winchesters with a sonic scream , leaving to search for his father . He ends up at a local police station and seems mostly innocent but is unsure of , and unable to control , his power . Sam and Dean follow ; Dean insists on killing him but Sam sees Jack as just a child . While Dean explains what Jack is to a local officer , Jack explains he learned English from his mother and grew up quickly because she told him the world was dangerous ; she also said that Castiel was the father who would protect him . Three angels show up wanting to use Jack 's almost limitless power for themselves . The Winchesters banish two of them and kill the third ; Jack is stabbed in the heart in the process but is unharmed by the blade . Dean agrees to take him to the bunker , but only until they can find a way to kill him . They are on their own with Chuck not answering prayers . They give Castiel and Kelly a hunter 's funeral , also saying goodbye to Crowley and Mary whom they assume Lucifer killed . In the alternate world , Lucifer keeps Mary alive because he needs her for something . 266 `` The Rising Son '' Thomas J. Wright Eugenie Ross - Leming & Brad Buckner October 19 , 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 19 ) T13. 20552 1.90 On the way back to the bunker , the Winchesters and Jack stop at a hotel and are met by Donatello the prophet . Amara ate his soul , but he has been mentally making the moral choice ever since , and he was drawn to Jack 's power . Jack reads the Bible to learn more about himself and his family . Realizing he 'll need more protection , the Winchesters try to get him warding tattoos , but he reflexively attacks the tattoo artist for hurting him and his body heals the ink away . Dean takes this as proof that Jack will turn evil , while Sam thinks it 's because he lacks control . Meanwhile , the final Prince of Hell , Asmodeus , takes charge of Hell until Lucifer returns , disguising himself as Donatello to trick Jack into freeing the Shedim -- Hell 's darkest creatures -- to be a hero . The brothers and the real Donatello appear , and when Asmodeus hurts them , a flicker of Jack 's power makes him flee . At the bunker , Dean admits to Jack that he will kill him if he turns bad . In the alternate world , Lucifer protects Mary , intending to trade her for Jack when they get home . They meet an alternate version of Michael , who killed his world 's Lucifer . Michael is the stronger of the two , and keeps this Lucifer alive because he needs him for something . 267 `` Patience '' Robert Singer Robert Berens October 26 , 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 26 ) T13. 20553 1.93 Missouri Mosley ( from Season 1 's `` Home '' ) calls the Winchesters because a wraith with a taste for psychics is about to go after her family . Dean and Jody go to protect her son James and granddaughter Patience , who is unaware she has inherited Missouri 's gift . The wraith reappears and kills Missouri , as she knew it would . James reveals he cut his mother out of his life many years ago , as he grew up fearing she would get killed and also because he could n't forgive her after his wife Tess died after becoming sick despite Missouri saying she would be fine . The wraith attacks Patience at school and later kidnaps her from home intending to feed on her slowly . In a vision , Patience sees the wraith kill her father , Jody and Dean . She warns them and Dean kills the wraith . James and Dean think Patience should live a normal life , but Jody says it is Patience 's choice and that her door is open if she needs help . Meanwhile , Sam tries to train Jack because he reminds him of his own days addicted to demon blood . Jack makes no progress , which he takes as a sign he will be evil , since his powers only work negatively . While the brothers argue over him , Jack says Castiel 's name ; Castiel hears this and wakes up in a void of nothingness . 268 `` The Big Empty '' John Badham Meredith Glynn November 2 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 02 ) T13. 20554 1.82 A man is killed by his dead wife . Taking the case , Sam convinces Dean to let Jack join them ; also having convinced Jack to help save Mary if he can master his powers . There are no signs of a ghost or revenant . A woman is then killed by her dead son . Both victims shared a grief therapist Mia , whom the guys question pretending to be three brothers that lost their mother . Sam and Dean get into an argument about Mary ; and Sam discovers Mia is a shapeshifter . Mia says she only helps people by pretending to be their loved ones to give closure , and the killer must be her ex boyfriend and fellow shapeshifter , Buddy . While Sam goes to Buddy 's address , Buddy actually sneaks into Mia 's office and knocks out Dean and Jack . When Mia refuses to kill them , Buddy prepares to shoot Sam when he walks into the room . Jack is able to use his powers to deflect the bullet away from Sam and throw Buddy into the wall , allowing Sam to kill him . Mia in Kelly 's form tells Jack that even monsters can do good . At the bunker Dean gives Jack some approval ; and wants Sam to keep believing Mary is alive , admitting that he no longer seems to believe in anything anymore . Meanwhile , Castiel is in The Empty , a place predating even God and Amara , where all angels and demons sleep forever after they die . Castiel is the first in eternity to wake up . The entity there takes Castiel 's form and taunts him to go back to sleep as the entity hates being awake itself . Castiel refuses , forcing the entity to send him back to Earth . 269 5 `` Advanced Thanatology '' John Showalter Steve Yockey November 9 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 09 ) T13. 20555 1.71 Two teenagers explore an abandoned asylum and one of them is killed . The survivor , Shawn , is left unable to speak from trauma and taking a medical mask with him . The brothers take the case and Dean insists he will be fine but clearly is n't . Dean is unable to get Shawn to talk . Sam discovers the asylum 's doctor used to lobotomize his patients and the next day Shawn disappears . At the asylum Dean burns the masks destroying the doctor but the place is still haunted ; Dean kills himself to find out where the patients bodies are . Shawn was possessed to go back there through the mask and the doctor made him kill himself . A Reaper reports that Dean is in The Veil and the new Death comes to see him : Billie . As the first Reaper to die after Dean killed the old Death she took the job , wanting information on how the hole to the other universe ripped open . She sees the Winchesters as important to the universe with work to do ; letting the ghosts move on and sending Dean back , stating his choices decide how he dies . Dean admits to Sam he needs a victory , and they are reunited with Castiel . 270 6 `` Tombstone '' Nina Lopez - Corrado Davy Perez November 16 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 16 ) T13. 20556 1.89 After meeting Castiel , Jack finds a case in Dodge City , Kansas . Dean loves all Western scene material . A local deputy is killed and his Uncle Joe , another officer , swears revenge . Questioning the local undertaker , Athena , Sam realizes they are dealing with a ghoul , whom Dean recognizes as wearing the face of the famous outlaw Dave Mather . Dave robs a bank so Athena can afford to go to school in California , she has no idea what Dave really is . The brothers , Castiel and Jack get into a shootout with Dave ; Jack blasts him with power but accidentally kills a bank security guard , while Dave escapes . Castiel can not heal the guard . As the others take Jack back , Dean and Joe investigate the local graveyard where Dave has captured Athena . Dean distracts him so Joe can shoot his head off . Dean has Joe blame the guard 's death on Dave . At the bunker , despite the other three saying it was a mistake , a withdrawn Jack believes he is a monster and will end up hurting the others so he must leave ; knocking them back and teleporting away . 271 7 `` War of the Worlds '' Richard Speight , Jr . Eugenie Ross - Leming & Brad Buckner November 23 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 23 ) T13. 20557 1.24 Castiel informs Sam and Dean that he has a meeting with an angel about Jack but says he needs to go alone . Asmodeus is unable to sense Jack , and is told that the Winchesters no longer have him . In the alternate world , Michael takes most of Lucifer 's grace , using his Kevin Tran to create a portal for Lucifer 's earth . Instead , Lucifer escapes and the portal closes . Lucifer arrives back in the correct time , but is greatly weakened . Meanwhile the brothers notice witches being killed . Talking to a survivor , they discover the killer is searching for Rowena and looks like Arthur Ketch . Capturing him , he claims to be Arthur 's twin brother , Alexander , who turned his back on the British Men of Letters . Sam finds records of Alexander but Dean is skeptical . Castiel meets with the angel Dumah and is told the angels ' population is very low and they intend to force Jack to create more angels when they find him . The angels try to capture Castiel , but Lucifer is able to scare them off . He tries to convince Castiel about the urgent threat of the other Michael , saying they need Jack 's power , and he decides not to tell the Winchesters . Asmodeus then appears , deciding he is the ruler of hell , capturing them both . Tracking Castiel , the brothers are attacked by demons but are helped by Alexander ; who finally admits he is Arthur . He tells them Rowena gave him a spell to cheat death in exchange for allowing her to escape after being captured by the British Men of Letters some years back , but it needs a recharge so he must find her , insinuating she survived . Dean attacks but Arthur escapes . Asmodeus locks up Lucifer and Castiel and tricks the Winchesters into thinking everything is fine ; having worked with Arthur all along . 272 8 `` The Scorpion and the Frog '' Robert Singer Meredith Glynn November 30 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 30 ) T13. 20558 1.73 After stealing a Nephilim tracking spell from a British museum , the Crossroad Demon Barthamus offers to trade it to the Winchesters to find Jack . In exchange , Barthamus requests the Winchesters aid his minions Smash and Grab in stealing a trunk from a man named Luther Shrike . Luther has Barthamus ' trunk in a vault that only Dean can open due to his previous time in Hell . The Winchesters reluctantly agree to the deal and perform a raid on Luther 's property . During the raid , Luther realizes the truth and kills Grab , a demon , before being captured by the Winchesters . With the help of Smash , who is a girl named Alice who once made a deal with Barthamus and is now forced to work for him , the Winchesters are able to retrieve the trunk . To their shock , the Winchesters learn that Luther is a man who once made a deal with Barthamus to save his son only to be double - crossed . The trunk contains Barthamus ' human bones , leverage with which Luther can force Barthamus to leave him alone . Barthamus kills Luther , but the Winchesters reject his deal due to Barthamus ' actions . Alice kills Barthamus by burning his bones , but the spell is destroyed with him . Despite this , the Winchesters are content with how things turned out as they managed to free Alice from her deal to live a normal life and stopped Barthamus . 273 9 `` The Bad Place '' Phil Sgriccia Robert Berens December 7 , 2017 ( 2017 - 12 - 07 ) T13. 20559 1.74 Jack approaches a dreamwalker named Derek Swan in order to look into the alternate reality where Mary Winchester and Lucifer were trapped . Shortly afterwards , the Winchesters learn from Sheriff Jody Mills that Derek is dead and Jack is apparently responsible . The Winchesters track down Jack shortly after he helps dreamwalker Kaia Nieves escape from a drug rehabilitation facility . Jack is revealed to be innocent in Derek 's death . He reveals that he has been attempting to rescue Mary from the alternate reality , but he needs a dreamwalker in order to see the world so that he can open a portal . The Winchesters and Jack rescue Kaia from angels looking for Jack to help them repopulate their species and Dean holds Kaia at gunpoint , forcing her to help them rescue Mary . Under attack by angels , Kaia and Jack combine their powers to open a portal , disintegrating the angels at the same time . Due to Kaia 's visions of another reality populated by monsters that she calls the Bad Place , the Winchesters end up in the Bad Place instead while Kaia is deposited on the side of the road and Jack finds Mary . At the same time , Patience Turner has visions of the Winchesters and Jody Mills in great danger . Against her father 's wishes , Patience leaves to help and warns Jody that something terrible is coming . 274 10 `` Wayward Sisters '' Phil Sgriccia Robert Berens & Andrew Dabb January 18 , 2018 ( 2018 - 01 - 18 ) T13. 20560 1.85 After completing a werewolf hunt , Claire Novak gets a call from Jody Mills that the Winchesters are missing and returns to Sioux Falls . At the same time , the Winchesters remain trapped in the Bad Place where they are ambushed by a hooded figure that apparently intends to feed them to a giant monster . Working together , Jody , Alex and Claire attempt to locate and rescue the Winchesters . They are joined by Patience Turner who warns of a vision where Claire dies . The group locates dreamwalker Kaia Nieves , but come under attack by monsters from the Bad Place , making them realize that the rift to the Bad Place is still open . With the help of Kaia and Sheriff Donna Hanscum , Jody 's family locates the rift . As Claire and Kaia travel to the Bad Place to rescue the Winchesters , Jody , Alex , Patience and Donna work together to kill several attacking monsters . Claire and Kaia succeed in rescuing the Winchesters before the rift closes , but Kaia is killed by the hooded figure , the true unexpected outcome of Patience 's vision . In the aftermath , Sam warns Jody that more monsters may have made it through the rift in the time that it was open and Claire mourns Kaia 's death . As Claire sits down to eat dinner with her family and swears revenge on Kaia 's killer , another rift opens and the hooded figure emerges . The hooded figure is revealed to be an alternate reality version of Kaia . 275 11 `` Breakdown '' Amyn Kaderali Davy Perez January 25 , 2018 ( 2018 - 01 - 25 ) T13. 20561 1.93 In Oshkosh , Nebraska , Donna Hanscum 's niece Wendy is kidnapped . Desperate , Donna contacts the Winchesters for help despite the fact that it appears that they are dealing with a human villain rather than a monster . The Winchesters agree to help Donna and team up with Donna , her boyfriend Officer Doug Stover and Agent Clegg of the FBI . Clegg identifies the villain as the Butterfly , a serial abductor operating in the area for the past twelve years . With the help of a trucker , Dean identifies a gas station clerk Marlon as a participant in the abduction . Marlon reveals that the kidnapped victims are butchered and their parts sold online to monsters by the Butterfly . Clegg is revealed to be the Butterfly and kidnaps Sam in order to sell off his parts to monsters . Marlon is revealed to be a vampire and turns Doug into one as well . Dean and Donna are able to use Marlon 's blood to cure Doug and force Marlon to give up Clegg 's location before killing him . Donna rescues Wendy and kills Clegg 's accomplice while Dean kills Clegg in time to save Sam 's life . In the aftermath , Doug is terrified by the discovery of the world of monsters and breaks up with Donna . Sam displays a bleak outlook on life , believing that the Winchesters and anyone they get close to will suffer a terrible end . 276 12 `` Various & Sundry Villains '' Amanda Tapping Steve Yockey February 1 , 2018 ( 2018 - 02 - 01 ) T13. 20562 1.68 Dean falls under a love spell cast by Jaime Plum , a witch working with her sister Jennie to steal the Black Grimoire , the spell book the Winchesters took from the Loughlin Family . Though the Plums succeed in stealing the book , Rowena unexpectedly shows up to help despite having been believed dead for months . Rowena reveals that she was resurrected again by the precautionary spell she put in place , but took a very long time to recover from her death . Rowena is seeking the Black Grimoire as it contains a ritual that will allow her to remove the magical binding placed upon her by the Grand Coven and regain her full powers . Privately , Rowena admits to Sam that she saw Lucifer 's true face and she is terrified of his inevitable return . After stealing the Black Grimorie , the Plums attempt to use it to resurrect their deceased mother , but only succeed in bringing her back as a zombie . Together the Winchesters and Rowena defeat the Plums and recover the Black Grimoire . Though the Winchesters keep the book , a sympathetic Sam allows Rowena to take the page with the ritual she needs and Rowena is able to restore her full powers . At the same time , Castiel and Lucifer form an alliance to escape Asmodeus ' custody . Though they succeed , Castiel refuses to trust Lucifer or give up some of his grace to him . Castiel attacks Lucifer with an angel blade , causing him harm in his weakened state . 277 13 `` Devil 's Bargain '' Eduardo Sánchez Eugenie Ross - Leming & Brad Buckner February 8 , 2018 ( 2018 - 02 - 08 ) T13. 20563 1.81 Following his confrontation with Lucifer , a wounded Castiel makes his way back to the Winchesters and informs them of everything that has happened including Lucifer 's return . The Winchesters realize that the demon tablet could potentially contain the spell the alternate Kevin Tran used to reopen the rift and set Prophet Donatello Redfield to work on translating it . Learning of Donatello 's work , Asmodeus places Donatello under his control with an order to let him know once the spell is translated . With Lucifer becoming more human , he begins draining other angels ' graces in an effort to restore his own . Along the way , Lucifer meets the angel Anael , disguised as a faith healer named Sister Jo . Lucifer and Anael form a connection while the Winchesters and Arthur Ketch , working for Asmodeus , hunt for Lucifer . Lucifer and Anael are able to avoid an attempt to kill them by Arthur . Lucifer , with a promise to help make new angels and to restore the living angels wings , becomes the ruler of Heaven again with Anael at his side . Following Lucifer 's escape , Arthur proposes an alliance between himself and the Winchesters to defeat Lucifer and Michael 's upcoming invasion , revealing his work for Asmodeus in the process . The Winchesters reluctantly concede that they need Arthur for now and are unaware of Donatello being under the control of Asmodeus as he translates the spell . When Arthur reports his failure to Asmodeus , Asmodeus reveals that he has acquired an Archangel Blade , the one weapon that can kill Lucifer . As well , Asmodeus has prisoner the Archangel Gabriel who has been believed dead for nearly eight years . 278 14 `` Good Intentions '' P.J. Pesce Meredith Glynn March 1 , 2018 ( 2018 - 03 - 01 ) T13. 20564 1.61 While reading the demon tablet , Prophet Donatello Redfield , due to his soulless state , becomes corrupted by its power . As a result , he gives the Winchesters and Castiel what he claims is the ingredients before attacking Sam who manages to subdue him . Donatello sends Dean and Castiel after Gog and Magog in an attempt to kill them , but the attempt fails . With Donatello refusing to help , Castiel forcefully strips the information from his mind , leaving Donatello brain dead . Castiel justifies that they are fighting a war for their very survival and reveals that they need the grace of an archangel , a fruit from the Tree of Life , the seal of Solomon and the blood of a most holy man . In the Apocalypse World , Zachariah ( Chad Rook ) tries and fails to trick Jack into helping the angels . Working together , Jack and Mary escape Michael 's fortress and are taken by Bobby Singer ( Jim Beaver ) to one of the few human colonies left . Bobby reveals to Mary the history of Apocalypse World and the war of extermination the angels are waging , causing Mary to realize that her own alternate self created this world by not making the deal with Azazel and having Sam and Dean . Jack is ordered exiled once his true nature is discovered , but Zachariah leads an attack on the colony before he can leave . Jack kills Zachariah and helps repel the attack on the colony , earning him acceptance . Having grown to care for the humans of Apocalypse World , Jack decides to kill Michael in order to end his war of extermination and save what 's left of the human race . 279 15 `` A Most Holy Man '' Amanda Tapping Andrew Dabb & Robert Singer March 8 , 2018 ( 2018 - 03 - 08 ) T13. 20565 1.66 The Winchesters realize that the blood of a most holy man likely refers to a saint and set out to find someone who has saint blood . Through a black market dealer named Margaret Astor , the Winchesters are directed to a man named Richard Greenstreet who claims to have saint 's blood . Greenstreet offers to give the Winchesters the blood of Saint Ignatius if they get him the skull of Saint Peter which has recently been stolen from a monastery in Malta by a man working for Seattle mob boss Santino Scarpatti . After discovering the thief murdered , the Winchesters are apprehended by Scarpatti 's henchmen and Scarpatti offers a deal where he will pay them a handsome finder 's fee that they can buy the blood with if they get him the skull . Complicating matters , the Winchesters meet Father Luca Camilleri , a priest from Malta seeking the skull for altruistic reasons . The Winchesters choose to help Luca and discover that Margaret Astor had murdered the thief to auction the skull off to everyone interested . Sam joins the auction , but Greenstreet instigates a gunfight that kills Margaret , Scarpatti and their henchmen . During the fight , Luca saves Dean 's life and the Winchesters learn that Greenstreet lied about having the saint 's blood . Greenstreet is arrested while Luca returns home with the skull . Before Luca leaves , Sam learns that he is an apostolic protonotary supernumery , a title given by the Pope for doing good works . As a result , Luca was declared `` a most holy man '' by the Pope and at the Winchesters ' request , gives them his blood . Afterwards , Dean displays faith for the first time that they will succeed . 280 16 `` Scoobynatural '' Robert Singer Jim Krieg & Jeremy Adams March 29 , 2018 ( 2018 - 03 - 29 ) T13. 20566 2.03 After stopping a plushie that comes to life in a pawn shop and attacks , the grateful owner gives Dean a new TV for free . While testing out the TV , the Winchesters are sucked into Dean 's favorite episode of Scooby - Doo , Where Are You ! followed soon after by Castiel . To the group 's shock , they discover an actual ghost that begins killing people and the Winchesters and the Scooby Gang are forced to team up together to stop it . Working together , the Winchesters and the Scooby Gang trap the ghost who reveals himself to be a young boy who a greedy real estate developer in the real world is using to scare away reluctant shop owners . The ghost helps the Winchesters and Castiel fool the Scooby Gang into thinking that it was a human villain before returning the Winchesters and Castiel to the real world . There , the three put the ghost to rest and get the criminal arrested for tax evasion . Before getting sucked into Scooby - Doo , Castiel is shown to have gotten the fruit from the Tree of Life , bringing the Winchesters one step closer to their goal of opening a portal to Apocalypse World . This episode is a crossover with Scooby - Doo . 281 17 `` The Thing '' John Showalter Davy Perez April 5 , 2018 ( 2018 - 04 - 05 ) T13. 20567 1.41 Having gotten two of the needed ingredients to open a portal to Apocalypse World , the Winchesters search through the Men of Letters archive for clues on the Seal of Solomon . Finally , Dean discovers records showing that the Men of Letters found King Solomon 's treasure in Israel in 1917 , including the Seal , and stored it in their Portsmouth , Rhode Island chapter house . The Winchesters are able to locate the chapter house and find a young woman inside named Sandy Porter that has been trapped since 1925 and has n't aged at all . Following an attack by a mysterious group , Sam learns that in 1925 , a rogue Man of Letters named Diego Avila opened a rift into another dimension and brought forth the god Yokoth to cleanse the Earth . Sandy is in fact Yokoth who intends to bring her mate to Earth in Dean 's body while the group that attacked are Men of Letters legacies who have been keeping Yokoth trapped . With the help of Diego 's great - grandchildren , the Winchesters banish Yokoth back to her dimension and get the Seal of Solomon . At the same time , Arthur Ketch discovers Asmodeus using Gabriel 's grace to power up . Asmodeus recognizes that Arthur seeks redemption and brutally beats him . In retaliation , Arthur rescues Gabriel and steals the archangel blade , bringing both to the Winchesters . Now having all the ingredients they need , the Winchesters open a door to Apocalypse World that will last twenty - four hours and Dean and Arthur pass through to finally rescue Jack and Mary . 282 18 `` Bring ' em Back Alive '' Amyn Kaderali Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross - Leming April 12 , 2018 ( 2018 - 04 - 12 ) T13. 20568 1.53 In Apocalypse World , Dean reluctantly works with Arthur Ketch to find Mary and Jack . To Dean 's shock , he witnesses a group of angels holding the alternate reality version of his old friend Charlie Bradbury captive . Against Arthur 's wishes , Dean launches a rescue mission for Charlie . Dean reveals that he still holds guilt over his Charlie 's murder and Arthur agrees to help him . Together , the two men liberate Charlie who reveals that Mary and Jack are leading a resistance against Michael . Out of time before the rift closes , Dean returns to his Earth while Arthur remains behind in Apocalypse World to aid the resistance and coordinate for Dean 's inevitable return with reinforcements . At the same time , Sam and Castiel attempt to help Gabriel , learning that he faked his death when Lucifer `` killed '' him in order to escape all responsibility again . Asmodeus eventually locates Gabriel and leads an attack on the bunker to recapture him . However , Gabriel recovers and kills Asmodeus . Gabriel chooses to abscond from his responsibility once again and departs , leaving the Winchesters without Gabriel 's power to fight Michael or his grace to reopen the door to Apocalypse World . At the same time , Lucifer struggles in his new role as the ruler of Heaven , ultimately alienating Anael with his behavior . 283 19 `` Funeralia '' Nina Lopez - Corrado Steve Yockey April 19 , 2018 ( 2018 - 04 - 19 ) T13. 20569 1.38 In an effort to find Gabriel , Castiel visits Heaven to gain the help of the angels . To Castiel 's shock , he is greeted by Naomi who has been believed dead since the fall of the angels nearly five years earlier . Naomi reveals she survived , but her injuries were such that she faked her death and has required years to recover . With Heaven experiencing power fluctuations , Naomi explains that there are now less than a dozen angels left , Naomi and Castiel included . Heaven will soon crumble and release its souls upon the Earth while the angels will burn out if Gabriel , their only chance , is not found and brought back to Heaven . After Castiel leaves , Naomi seals the portal until the situation is resolved . At the same time , the Winchesters learn that Rowena is using her new powers to kill both humans and Reapers and alter fate . Rowena is revealed to be trying to force Billie to bring back Crowley due to her remorse over the life he was forced to lead when she abandoned him . Rowena proves unable to kill Sam and weakens her power in a futile attack on Billie who offers sympathy , but wo n't bring Crowley back . The Winchesters become convinced that Rowena may be able to find redemption for her actions and she agrees to join them . Its also revealed that when Rowena permanently dies , Sam will be the one to kill her as dictated by fate . 284 20 `` Unfinished Business '' Richard Speight , Jr . Meredith Glynn April 26 , 2018 ( 2018 - 04 - 26 ) T13. 20570 TBD In Apocalypse World , Mary and Jack 's resistance has had a string of victories against Michael and his angels , causing Jack to become overconfident in his abilities . The two receive the unexpected news that Michael 's fortress has been cleared out and while searching it with a few resistance fighters , discover Kevin Tran in the dungeon . Kevin reveals that he has perfected the spell from the angel tablet to open the rift between the worlds and Michael is preparing to use it to lead an army to the Winchesters world . Kevin reveals that he has been left behind as a trap by Michael and kills himself in an explosion that kills all but Jack and Mary , leaving Jack dispirited as Michael wanted . At the same time , Gabriel is seriously injured while killing the Norse god Fenrir . Gabriel , low on power , asks the Winchesters for help with getting revenge against Loki who , along with his sons Fenrir , Narfi and Sleipnir , had sold Gabriel to Asmodeus when Gabriel sought their help . With the help of the Winchesters , Gabriel kills Narfi and Sleipnir before facing off with Loki who is revealed to have made a deal with Gabriel for Gabriel to assume his identity in exchange for Gabriel leaving Loki 's family out of the angels ' conflict . Loki is furious because Lucifer killed Odin years earlier and he blames Gabriel for the death of his father . Gabriel kills Loki and agrees to help the Winchesters against Michael . While the Winchesters only have to wait for Gabriel 's grace to recharge to open the portal again , Dean is revealed to have been overprotecting Sam out of fear of losing him again , causing Sam to confront Dean . 285 21 `` Beat the Devil '' Phil Sgriccia Robert Berens May 3 , 2018 ( 2018 - 05 - 03 ) TBA TBD 286 22 `` Exodus '' Thomas J. Wright Eugenie Ross - Leming & Brad Buckner May 10 , 2018 ( 2018 - 05 - 10 ) TBA TBD 287 23 `` Let the Good Times Roll '' Robert Singer Andrew Dabb May 17 , 2018 ( 2018 - 05 - 17 ) TBA TBD Production ( edit ) Supernatural was renewed for a thirteenth season by The CW on January 8 , 2017 . This season is the first season not to feature Mark Sheppard as Crowley since his introduction in season 5 , as the actor announced in May 2017 he would not be returning after his character was killed off for the last time . Alexander Calvert , who was introduced as Jack in the twelfth season finale , was promoted to series regular for this season . Reception ( edit ) The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100 % approval rating for Supernatural 's thirteenth season , with an average rating of 7.87 / 10 based on 6 reviews . Ratings ( edit ) No . Title Air date Rating / share ( 18 -- 49 ) Viewers ( millions ) DVR ( 18 -- 49 ) DVR viewers ( millions ) Total ( 18 -- 49 ) Total viewers ( millions ) `` Lost and Found '' October 12 , 2017 0.7 / 3 2.10 N / A N / A N / A N / A `` The Rising Son '' October 19 , 2017 0.7 / 3 1.90 N / A N / A N / A N / A `` Patience '' October 26 , 2017 0.6 / 2 1.93 N / A N / A N / A N / A `` The Big Empty '' November 2 , 2017 0.6 / 2 1.82 0.5 N / A 1.1 N / A 5 `` Advanced Thanatology '' November 9 , 2017 0.6 / 2 1.71 N / A N / A N / A N / A 6 `` Tombstone '' November 16 , 2017 0.7 / 3 1.89 N / A N / A N / A N / A 7 `` War of the Worlds '' November 23 , 2017 0.3 / 1 1.24 0.5 1.21 0.8 2.45 8 `` The Scorpion and the Frog '' November 30 , 2017 0.6 / 2 1.73 N / A N / A N / A N / A 9 `` The Bad Place '' December 7 , 2017 0.6 / 2 1.74 N / A N / A N / A N / A 10 `` Wayward Sisters '' January 18 , 2018 0.6 / 2 1.85 0.4 N / A 1.0 N / A 11 `` Breakdown '' January 25 , 2018 0.6 / 2 1.93 0.5 1.10 1.1 3.03 12 `` Various & Sundry Villains '' February 1 , 2018 0.6 / 2 1.68 0.4 0.94 1.0 2.62 13 `` Devil 's Bargain '' February 8 , 2018 0.6 / 2 1.81 0.4 1.08 1.0 2.89 14 `` Good Intentions '' March 1 , 2018 0.6 / 2 1.61 N / A 0.97 N / A 2.59 15 `` A Most Holy Man '' March 8 , 2018 0.5 / 2 1.66 0.4 1.05 0.9 2.73 16 `` Scoobynatural '' March 29 , 2018 0.7 / 3 2.03 0.6 1.32 1.3 3.36 17 `` The Thing '' April 5 , 2018 0.4 / 2 1.41 TBD TBD TBD TBD 18 `` Bring ' em Back Alive '' April 12 , 2018 0.5 / 2 1.53 TBD TBD TBD TBD 19 `` Funeralia '' April 19 , 2018 0.5 / 2 1.38 TBD TBD TBD TBD 20 `` Unfinished Business '' April 26 , 2018 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 21 `` Beat the Devil '' May 3 , 2018 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 22 `` Exodus '' May 10 , 2018 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 23 `` Let the Good Times Roll '' May 17 , 2018 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Catch The CW 's Season Finales This April and May ! '' . The Futon Critic . March 15 , 2018 . Retrieved March 16 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Ausiello , Michael ; Gelman , Vlada ( May 13 , 2016 ) . `` Supernatural Names New Showrunners as Jeremy Carver Moves to Frequency '' . TVLine . Retrieved May 14 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Andreeva , Nellie ( July 23 , 2017 ) . `` Wayward Sisters : Spinoff Adds Supernatural Trio And Newcomer To Cast '' . Deadline . Retrieved July 23 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Highfill , Samantha ( September 28 , 2017 ) . `` Supernatural Spin - off casts Yadira Guevara - Prip as Kaia '' . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 28 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Webb Mitovich , Matt ( May 18 , 2017 ) . `` Supernatural Meets Scooby - Doo ? Jinkies , It 's Happening ! '' . TVLine . Retrieved September 21 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Jim Beaver ( @ jumblejim ) ( January 1 , 2018 ) . `` In 48 hours , I 'll be back in Vancouver loading angel - blade bullets ! '' ( Tweet ) . Retrieved January 2 , 2018 -- via Twitter . Jump up ^ Abrams , Natalie ( October 19 , 2017 ) . `` Spoiler Room : Scoop on ' The Originals ' , ' Once Upon a Time ' , ' Supernatural ' and more '' . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 19 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Turchiano , Danielle ( December 1 , 2017 ) . `` ' Supernatural ' Casts Danneel Ackles in Recurring Role ( EXCLUSIVE ) '' . Variety . Retrieved December 1 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( October 13 , 2017 ) . `` ' Will & Grace , ' ' Grey 's Anatomy , ' ' Gotham ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved October 13 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( October 20 , 2017 ) . `` ' Gotham ' and ' Supernatural ' adjust up , final NFL numbers : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved October 20 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( October 27 , 2017 ) . `` NFL adjusts up , scripted shows all unchanged : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved October 27 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( November 3 , 2017 ) . `` ' Will & Grace ' adjusts up , ' Sheldon ' and other CBS shows adjust down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved November 3 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( November 10 , 2017 ) . `` ' Big Bang Theory ' and ' Thursday Night Football ' adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved November 10 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( November 17 , 2017 ) . `` ' Supernatural ' and NFL adjust up , ' Young Sheldon ' adjusts down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved November 17 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( November 28 , 2017 ) . `` Primetime NFL adjusts up on Thanksgiving : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved November 28 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( December 4 , 2017 ) . `` ' Supernatural , ' ' Big Bang Theory ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved December 4 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( December 8 , 2017 ) . `` ' Supernatural ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved December 8 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( January 22 , 2018 ) . `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' adjusts up , ' The Four , ' ' Scandal ' and ' Great News ' down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved January 22 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( January 26 , 2018 ) . `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' adjusts up , ' Big Bang Theory ' adjusts down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved January 26 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( February 2 , 2018 ) . `` ' Big Bang Theory , ' ' The Four ' adjust up , ' Mom ' and ' AP Bio ' adjust down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 2 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( February 9 , 2018 ) . `` Olympics adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 9 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( March 2 , 2018 ) . `` ' Superstore , ' ' SWAT , ' ' Scandal ' and ' AP Bio ' adjust down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved March 2 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( March 9 , 2018 ) . `` ' Young Sheldon , ' ' SWAT , ' all NBC shows adjust down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved March 9 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( March 30 , 2018 ) . `` ' Big Bang Theory , ' ' Grey 's Anatomy ' and ' Chicago Fire ' adjust up , ' SWAT ' adjusts down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved March 30 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( April 6 , 2018 ) . `` ' Big Bang Theory , ' ' Grey 's Anatomy ' adjust up , ' Mom , ' ' Supernatural , ' ' Arrow ' down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved April 6 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( April 13 , 2018 ) . `` ' Big Bang Theory , ' ' Grey 's Anatomy ' and ' Superstore ' adjust up : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved April 13 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Porter , Rick ( April 20 , 2018 ) . `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' adjusts up , ' SWAT , ' ' Supernatural ' & ' Arrow ' adjust down : Thursday final ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved April 20 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` ( # 1321 ) `` Beat the Devil '' `` . The Futon Critic . Retrieved April 12 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` ( # 1322 ) `` Exodus '' `` . The Futon Critic . Retrieved April 19 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` ( # 1323 ) `` Let the Good Times Roll '' `` . The Futon Critic . Retrieved April 26 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Abrams , Natalie ( January 8 , 2017 ) . `` The CW Renews Supernatural , DC Superhero Shows '' . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 23 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Gelman , Vlada ( May 24 , 2017 ) . `` Supernatural Season 13 : Mark Sheppard Not Returning as a Series Regular '' . TVLine . Retrieved May 25 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Swift , Andy ( August 9 , 2017 ) . `` Supernatural Promotes Lucifer 's Son to Series Regular Ahead of Season 13 '' . TVLine . Retrieved August 9 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Supernatural : Season 13 '' . Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 19 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( November 9 , 2017 ) . `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' keeps rolling along in week 5 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved November 23 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( December 7 , 2017 ) . `` ' Chicago Med ' premiere makes solid gains in week 9 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved December 9 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( February 1 , 2018 ) . `` ' This Is Us , ' ' The Good Doctor ' both double in week 17 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 2 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( February 8 , 2018 ) . `` ' This Is Us ' sets NBC records in week 18 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 9 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( February 15 , 2018 ) . `` Closing the book on the Super Bowl ' This Is Us ' : Week 19 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 15 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( February 22 , 2018 ) . `` ' The Good Doctor ' and ' This Is Us ' on top again : Week 20 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved February 24 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( March 15 , 2018 ) . `` ' Agents of SHIELD , ' 16 other shows double in week 23 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved March 27 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( March 22 , 2018 ) . `` ' This Is Us ' leads the week 24 broadcast Live + 7 ratings -- by quite a bit '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved March 27 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Porter , Rick ( April 11 , 2018 ) . `` ' Roseanne ' premiere sets a record in week 27 broadcast Live + 7 ratings '' . TV by the Numbers . Retrieved April 15 , 2018 . External links ( edit ) Official website Supernatural at epguides.com List of Supernatural episodes on IMDb List of Supernatural season 13 episodes at TV.com ( hide ) Supernatural Episodes Season 1 `` Pilot '' `` Devil 's Trap '' Season 2 `` What Is and What Should Never Be '' `` All Hell Breaks Loose '' Season 3 `` Fresh Blood '' `` A Very Supernatural Christmas '' `` Dream a Little Dream of Me '' `` No Rest for the Wicked '' Season 4 `` Lazarus Rising '' Season 5 `` Sympathy for the Devil '' `` Good God , Y'All ! '' `` Swan Song '' Season 6 `` Exile on Main St . '' Season 7 `` Meet the New Boss '' `` Hello , Cruel World '' Season 8 `` Sacrifice '' Season 9 Season 10 `` Black '' `` Reichenbach '' `` Soul Survivor '' `` Brother 's Keeper '' Season 11 `` Out of the Darkness , Into the Fire '' `` Form and Void '' `` The Bad Seed '' `` Baby '' `` Thin Lizzie '' `` Our Little World '' `` O Brother Where Art Thou ? '' `` The Devil in the Details '' `` Beyond the Mat '' `` Safe House '' `` Hell 's Angel '' `` Do n't Call Me Shurley '' `` All in the Family '' `` We Happy Few '' `` Alpha and Omega '' Season 12 `` Keep Calm and Carry On '' `` Mamma Mia '' `` The Foundry '' `` American Nightmare '' `` The One You 've Been Waiting For '' `` Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox '' `` Rock Never Dies '' `` LOTUS '' `` First Blood '' `` Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets '' Season 13 `` Scoobynatural '' Characters Main Sam Winchester Dean Winchester Ruby Bela Talbot Castiel Crowley Lucifer Supporting John Winchester Bobby Singer Jo Harvelle Ellen Harvelle Anna Milton Jody Mills Antagonists Azazel Meg Masters Lilith Uriel Alastair Zachariah Other Awards and nominations Supernatural Wiki Supernatural : Bloodlines Wikipedia books : Supernatural Seasons Season 1 Season 2 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Supernatural_(season_13)&oldid=838525805 '' Categories : Supernatural ( U.S. TV series ) seasons 2017 American television seasons 2018 American television seasons Hidden categories : Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Pages using Columns - list with deprecated parameters Official website not in Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Español فارسی Français Հայերեն Italiano Português Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 27 April 2018 , at 15 : 38 . 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Plague of Athens - wikipedia Plague of Athens Jump to : navigation , search The Plague of Athens , Michiel Sweerts , c. 1652 - 1654 The Plague of Athens was an epidemic that devastated the city - state of Athens in ancient Greece during the second year of the Peloponnesian War ( 430 BC ) when an Athenian victory still seemed within reach . It is believed to have entered Athens through Piraeus , the city 's port and sole source of food and supplies . Much of the eastern Mediterranean also saw outbreak of the disease , albeit with less impact . The plague returned twice more , in 429 BC and in the winter of 427 / 426 BC . Some 30 pathogens have been suggested as causing the plague . Contents ( hide ) 1 Background 2 Social implications 2.1 Fear of the law 2.2 Care for the sick and dead 2.3 Religious strife 3 Cause 3.1 Typhus 3.2 Typhoid 3.3 Viral hemorrhagic fever 4 References 5 External links Background ( edit ) Sparta and its allies , with the exception of Corinth , were almost exclusively land based powers , able to summon large land armies that were very nearly unbeatable . Under the direction of Pericles , the Athenians pursued a policy of retreat within the city walls of Athens , relying on Athenian maritime supremacy for supply while the superior Athenian navy harassed Spartan troop movements . Unfortunately the strategy also resulted in adding many people from the countryside to an already well - populated city , introducing a severe crowding factor as well as resource shortages . Due to the close quarters and poor hygiene exhibited at that time Athens became a breeding ground for disease and many citizens died including Pericles , his wife , and his sons Paralus and Xanthippus . In the history of epidemics the ' Plague ' of Athens is remarkable for its one - sided affliction and bias on the ultimate outcome of a war . In his History of the Peloponnesian War the historian Thucydides , who was present and contracted the disease himself and survived , describes the epidemic . He writes of a disease coming from Ethiopia and passing through Egypt and Libya into the Greek world -- a plague so severe and deadly that no one could recall anywhere its like , and physicians ignorant of its nature not only were helpless but themselves died the fastest , having had the most contact with the sick . In overcrowded Athens the disease killed an estimated one third to two thirds of the population . The sight of the burning funeral pyres of Athens caused the Spartans to withdraw their troops being unwilling to risk contact with the diseased enemy . Many of Athens ' infantry and expert seamen died , as well as their general Pericles . After the death of Pericles , Athens was led by a succession of leaders Thucydides described as incompetent or weak . According to Thucydides , not until 415 BC had Athens recovered sufficiently to mount a major offensive , the disastrous Sicilian Expedition . Social implications ( edit ) Accounts of the Athenian plague graphically describe the social consequences of an epidemic . Thucydides ' account clearly details the complete disappearance of social morals during the time of the plague . The impact of disease on social and religious behavior was also documented during the worldwide pandemic best known as the Black Death . Fear of the law ( edit ) Thucydides states that people ceased fearing the law since they felt they were already living under a death sentence . Likewise , people started spending money indiscriminately . Many felt they would not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of wise investment , while some of the poor unexpectedly became wealthy by inheriting the property of their relatives . It is also recorded that people refused to behave honorably because most did not expect to live long enough to enjoy a good reputation for it . Care for the sick and dead ( edit ) Α reconstructed appearance of Myrtis , an 11 - year - old girl who died during the plague of Athens and whose skeleton was found in the Kerameikos mass grave , National Archaeological Museum of Athens Another reason for the lack of honorable behavior was the sheer contagiousness of the illness . Those who tended to the ill were most vulnerable to catching the disease . This meant that many people died alone because no one was willing to risk caring for them . The dead were heaped on top of each other , left to rot , or shoved into mass graves . Sometimes those carrying the dead would come across an already burning funeral pyre , dump a new body on it , and walk away . Others appropriated prepared pyres so as to have enough fuel to cremate their own dead . Those lucky enough to survive the plague developed an immunity and so became the main caretakers of those who later fell ill . A mass grave and nearly 1,000 tombs , dated between 430 and 426 BC , have been found just outside Athens ' ancient Kerameikos cemetery . The mass grave was bordered by a low wall that seems to have protected the cemetery from a wetland . Excavated during 1994 -- 95 , the shaft - shaped grave may have contained a total of 240 individuals , at least ten of them children . Skeletons in the graves were randomly placed with no layers of soil between them . Excavator Efi Baziotopoulou - Valavani , of the Third Ephoreia ( Directorate ) of Antiquities , reported that `` ( t ) he mass grave did not have a monumental character . The offerings we found consisted of common , even cheap , burial vessels ; black - finished ones , some small red - figured , as well as white lekythoi ( oil flasks ) of the second half of the 5th century BC . The bodies were placed in the pit within a day or two . These ( factors ) point to a mass burial in a state of panic , quite possibly due to a plague . '' Religious strife ( edit ) The plague also caused religious uncertainty and doubt . Since the disease struck without regard to a person 's piety toward the gods , people felt abandoned by the gods and there seemed to be no benefit to worshiping them . The temples themselves were sites of great misery , as refugees from the Athenian countryside had been forced to find accommodation in the temples . Soon the sacred buildings were filled with the dead and dying . The Athenians pointed to the plague as evidence that the gods favored Sparta , and this was supported by an oracle that Apollo himself ( the god of disease and medicine ) would fight for Sparta if they fought with all their might . An earlier oracle had warned that `` War with the Dorians ( Spartans ) comes and at the same time death '' . Thucydides is skeptical of these conclusions and believes that people were simply being superstitious . He relies upon the prevailing medical theory of the day , Hippocratic theory , and strives to gather evidence through direct observation . He notes that carrion - eating birds and animals disappeared as a result , though he leaves it an open question whether they died after eating the corpses or refused to eat them and were driven away : All the birds and beasts that prey upon human bodies , either abstained from touching them ( though there were many lying unburied ) , or died after tasting them . In proof of this , it was noticed that birds of this kind actually disappeared ; they were not about the bodies , or indeed to be seen at all . Cause ( edit ) Historians have long tried to identify the disease behind the Plague of Athens . The disease has traditionally been considered an outbreak of the bubonic plague in its many forms , but reconsiderations of the reported symptoms and epidemiology have led scholars to advance alternative explanations . These include typhus , smallpox , measles , and toxic shock syndrome . Based upon striking descriptive similarities with recent outbreaks in Africa , as well as the fact that the Athenian plague itself apparently came from Africa ( as Thucydides recorded ) , Ebola or a related viral hemorrhagic fever has been considered . Given the possibility that profiles of a known disease may have morphed over time or the plague was caused by a disease that no longer exists , the exact nature of the Athenian plague may never be known . In addition , crowding caused by the influx of refugees into the city led to inadequate food and water supplies and a probable proportionate increase in insects , lice , rats , and waste . These conditions would have encouraged more than one epidemic disease during the outbreak . However , advancing scientific technologies may reveal new clues . In 2005 a correlation was made between DNA extracted from dental pulp of three teeth recovered from the Kerameikos cemetery ( excavated 1994 -- 95 ) in Athens and a known pathogen : typhoid fever . Typhus ( edit ) In January 1999 , the University of Maryland devoted their fifth annual medical conference , dedicated to notorious case histories , to the Plague of Athens . They concluded that the disease that killed the Greeks and their military and political leader , Pericles , was typhus . `` Epidemic typhus fever is the best explanation , '' said Dr. David Durack , consulting professor of medicine at Duke University . `` It hits hardest in times of war and privation , it has about 20 percent mortality , it kills the victim after about seven days , and it sometimes causes a striking complication : gangrene of the tips of the fingers and toes . The Plague of Athens had all these features . '' In typhus cases , progressive dehydration , debilitation and cardiovascular collapse ultimately cause the patient 's death . This medical opinion is supported by the opinion of A.W. Gomme , who wrote a comprehensive annotated edition of Thucydides and who also believed typhus was the cause of the epidemic . This opinion is expressed in his monumental work Historic Comments on Thucydides , completed after Gomme 's death by A. Andrewes and K.J. Dover . Angelos Vlachos ( Άγγελος Βλάχος ) , a member of the Academy of Athens and a diplomat , in his Remarks on Thucydides ( in Greek : Παρατηρήσεις στο Θουκυδίδη , ( 1992 ) I : 177 -- - 78 ) acknowledges and supports Gomme 's opinion : `` Today , according to Gomme , it is generally acceptable that it was typhus '' ( `` Σήμερα , όπως γράφει ο Gomme , έχει γίνει από όλους παραδεκτό ότι ήταν τύφος '' ) . The theory has also found support recent in a study of the plague by Greek epidemiologists . Other researchers disagree , noting prominently among other discrepancies , the absence in typhus of the dramatic gastrointestinal symptoms described by Thucydides . Typhoid ( edit ) A different answer was found in a DNA study of teeth recovered from an ancient Greek burial pit , led by Manolis Papagrigorakis of the University of Athens , which found DNA sequences similar to those of the organism that causes typhoid fever . Symptoms generally associated with typhoid resemble Thucydides ' description . They include : a high fever from 39 ° C to 40 ° C ( 103 ° F to 104 ° F ) that rises slowly ; chills bradycardia ( slow heart rate ) weakness diarrhea headaches myalgia ( muscle pain ) lack of appetite constipation stomach pains in some cases , a rash of flat , rose - colored spots called `` rose spots '' extreme symptoms such as intestinal perforation or hemorrhage , delusions and confusion are also possible . Some aspects of typhoid are at clear variance from Thucydides ' description . Scavenger animals do not die from infection with typhoid , the onset of fever in typhoid is typically slow and subtle , and typhoid generally kills later in the disease course . As typhoid is most commonly transmitted through poor hygiene habits and public sanitation conditions in crowded urban areas , it is an unlikely cause of a plague emerging in the less urbanized Africa , as reported by Thucydides . Some researchers have disputed the findings from the dental pulp study , citing what they claim are serious methodologic flaws . It is true that contamination - induced false - positives are one of the major problems with the technique used , PCR ( polymerase chain reaction ) , and the Kerameikos burial area is known to have been heavily trafficked in antiquity by hogs , carriers of Salmonella species that may have been confused with the Salmonella typhi that causes typhoid . However , the authors of the original study assert that the basis of the objections is flimsy , and the methodology used to produce the disproof has been previously shown to give conflicting results . Viral hemorrhagic fever ( edit ) Thucydides ' narrative pointedly refers to increased risk among caregivers , more typical of the person - to - person contact spread of viral hemorrhagic fever ( e.g. , Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus ) than typhus or typhoid . Unusual in the history of plagues during military operations , besieging Spartan troops are described as not having been afflicted by the illness raging near them within the city . Thucydides ' description further invites comparison with VHF in the character and sequence of symptoms developed , and of the usual fatal outcome on about the eighth day . Some scientists have interpreted Thucydides ' expression `` lugx kenē '' ( λύγξ κενή ) as the unusual symptom of hiccups , which is now recognized as a common finding in Ebola virus disease . Outbreaks of VHF in Africa in 2012 and 2014 reinforced observations of the increased hazard to caregivers and the necessity of barrier precautions for preventing disease spread related to grief rituals and funerary rites . The 2015 west African Ebola outbreak noted persistence of effects on genitalia and eyes in some survivors , both described by Thucydides . With an up to 21 - day clinical incubation period , and up to 565 - day infectious potential recently demonstrated in a semen - transmitted infection , movement of Ebola via Nile commerce into the busy port of Piraeus is plausible . Ancient Greek intimacy with African sources is reflected in accurate renditions of monkeys in art of frescoes and pottery , most notably guenons ( Cercopithecus ) , the type of primates responsible for transmitting Marburg virus into Germany and Yugoslavia when that disease was first characterized in 1967 . Circumstantially tantalizing is the requirement for the large quantity of ivory used in the Athenian sculptor Phidias ' two monumental ivory and gold statues of Athena and of Zeus ( one of the Seven Wonders ) , which were fabricated in the same decade . Never again in antiquity was ivory used on such a large scale . A second ancient narrative suggesting hemorrhagic fever etiology is that of Titus Lucretius Carus . Writing in the 1st century B.C. , Lucretius characterized the Athenian plague as having `` bloody '' or black discharges from bodily orifices . Lucretius cited and was an admirer of scientific predecessors in Greek Sicily Empedocles and Acron . While none of the original works of Acron , a physician , are extant , it is reported that he died ca . 430 B.C. after travel to Athens to combat the plague . Unfortunately DNA sequence - based identification is limited by the inability of some important pathogens to leave a `` footprint '' retrievable from archaeological remains after several millennia . The lack of a durable signature by RNA viruses means some etiologies , notably the hemorrhagic fever viruses , are not testable hypotheses using currently available scientific techniques . References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Thucydides , History of the Peloponnesian War 2.48. 1 ^ Jump up to : Manolis J. Papagrigorakis , Christos Yapijakis , and Philippos N. Synodinos , ' Typhoid Fever Epidemic in Ancient Athens , ' in Didier Raoult , Michel Drancourt , Paleomicrobiology : Past Human Infections , Springer Science & Business Media , 2008 pp. 161 - 173 . Jump up ^ History of the Peloponnesian War 1.117 Jump up ^ Thucydides , History of the Peloponnesian War 2.53 Jump up ^ Thucydides , History of the Peloponnesian War 2.51 Jump up ^ Axarlis , Nikos ( April 15 , 1998 ) . `` Plague Victims Found : Mass Burial in Athens '' . Jump up ^ Thuc . 2.53 Jump up ^ For both oracles , see Thuc . 2.54 Jump up ^ Thuc . 2.50 Jump up ^ Dr. Alexander Langmuir , formerly chief epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta , USA - New England Journal of Medicine , 1985 Volume 313 : 1027 - 1030 http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963885,00.html Jump up ^ Olson PE , Hames CS , Benenson AS , Genovese EN . `` The Thucydides syndrome : ebola deja vu ? ( or ebola reemergent ? ) '' Emerging Infectious Diseases 2 ( 1996 ) : 155 -- 156 . ISSN 1080 - 6059 . ^ Jump up to : Papagrigorakis , Manolis J. ; Yapijakis , Christos ; Synodinos , Philippos N. ; Baziotopoulou - Valavani , Effie ( 2006 ) . `` DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens '' . International Journal of Infectious Diseases . 10 ( 3 ) : 206 -- 214 . doi : 10.1016 / j. ijid. 2005.09. 001 . PMID 16412683 . Jump up ^ `` Plague of Athens : Another Medical Mystery Solved at University of Maryland '' . University of Maryland Medical Center . Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 10 . Jump up ^ Gomme , A.W. , ed . A. Andrewes and K.J. Dover . An Historical Commentary on Thucydides , Volume 5 . Book VIII , Oxford University Press , 1981 . ISBN 0 - 19 - 814198 - X . Jump up ^ Papagrigorakis , Manolis J. ; Yapijakis , Christos ; Synodinos , Philippos N. ; Baziotopoulou - Valavani , Effie ( 2006 ) . `` DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens '' . International Journal of Infectious Diseases . 10 : 206 -- 214 . doi : 10.1016 / j. ijid. 2005.09. 001 . PMID 16412683 . Jump up ^ Thucydides equivocates on whether scavengers actually did die after eating corpses , or simply fled : See Thuc . 2.50 . Jump up ^ Shapiro , Beth ; Rambaut , Andrew ; Gilbert , M. Thomas P. ; et al. ( 2006 ) . `` No proof that typhoid caused the Plague of Athens ( a reply to Papagrigorakis et al . ) '' . International Journal of Infectious Diseases . 10 : 334 -- 35 . doi : 10.1016 / j. ijid. 2006.02. 006 . PMID 16730469 . Jump up ^ `` Insufficient phylogenetic analysis may not exclude candidacy of typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens ( reply to Shapiro et al . ) '' . International Journal of Infectious Diseases . 10 : 335 -- 336 . doi : 10.1016 / j. ijid. 2006.02. 005 . Jump up ^ Boyd , EF ; Hartl , DL ( Feb 1999 ) . `` Analysis of the type 1 pilin gene cluster fim in Salmonella : Its distinct evolutionary histories in the 5 ' and 3 ' regions '' . J Bacteriol. 181 ( 4 ) : 1301 -- 8 . PMC 93509 . PMID 9973358 . Jump up ^ Olson , PE ; Hames , CS ; Benenson , AS ; Genovese , EN ( 1996 ) . `` The Thucydides syndrome : Ebola déjà vu ? ( or Ebola reemergent ? ) '' . Emerging Infect . Dis. 2 ( 2 ) : 155 -- 56 . doi : 10.3201 / eid0202. 960220 . PMC 2639821 . PMID 8964060 . They translate the phrase λύγξ κενή as `` hiccups , '' often previously translated from Thucydides as `` ineffectual retching '' , ( cf . Aretaeus , Treatment of Acute Diseases 2.4 ; Hippocrates , Aphorisms 5.58 ) . Dixon B. `` Ebola in Greece ? '' British Medical Journal ( 1996 ) , 313 -- 430 . McNeill , William H. Plagues and People . New York : Anchor Books , 1976 . ISBN 0 - 385 - 12122 - 9 . Pomeroy , Sarah B. Spartan Women . Oxford : Oxford University Press , 2002 . ISBN 0 - 19 - 513067 - 7 . Zinsser , Hans . Rats , Lice and History : A Chronicle of Pestilence and Plagues . Boston , 1935 ; New York : Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers , 1996 . ISBN 1 - 884822 - 47 - 9 . External links ( edit ) Papagrigorakis , MJ ; Yapijakis , C ; Synodinos , PN ; Baziotopoulou - Valavani , E ( May 2006 ) . `` DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens '' . Int. J. Infect . Dis. 10 : 206 -- 14 . doi : 10.1016 / j. ijid. 2005.09. 001 . PMID 16412683 . and the reply to it by Shapiro et al . History of the Peloponnesian War 2.47 -- 55 . ^ Live Science article Accessed January 23 , 2006 . Women in Classical Athens Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plague_of_Athens&oldid=837869223 '' Categories : Peloponnesian War Epidemics 5th century BC in Greece 5th - century BC disasters Ancient health disasters History of Classical Athens Typhoid fever 420s BC Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Català Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français Italiano മലയാളം Norsk Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 23 April 2018 , at 14 : 48 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia

Question: why was the plague that struck athens so devastating