Environmental Problems of the Greeks and Romans

J. Donald Hughes is John Evans Distinguished Professor and a professor emeritus of history at the University of Denver. His books include The Mediterranean: An Environmental History, An Environmental History of the World: Humankind's Changing Role in the Community of Life, and What is Environmental History?

• Preface1. Introduction: Ecology in the Greek and Roman World2. The Environment: Life, Land, and Sea in the Mediterranean3. Ecological Crises in Earlier Societies4. Concepts of the Natural World5. Deforestation, Overgrazing, and Erosion6. Wildlife Depletion and Loss of Habitat7. Agricultural Decline8. Industrial Technology and Environmental Damage9. War and the Environment10. Urban Problems11. Paradises and Parks, Gardens and Groves12. Natural Disasters13. Changing Climates14. Environmental Problems as Factors in the Decline of Greek and Roman CivilizationNotesBibliographyIndex

Hughes considers serially all the ways in which the ancients influenced their environment. He describes each aspect thoroughly, using ancient literature, archaeology, and ecological evidence to paint a picture of degeneration through overuse and lack of attention to consequences... The author's personal recollections enliven the text, and a comprehensive bibliography provides entrance to further research. Choice Hughes deserves great praise for updating a valuable overview of the problems ancient Greeks and Romans caused and faced within the natural environment of the Mediterranean basin. His work gives the undergraduate or non-specialist in particular a new view of the ancient world that will enrich her or his understanding of classical antiquity. -- Danielle M. La Londe Bryn Mawr Classical Review