Human Landscapes in Classical Antiquity: Environment and Culture

John Salmon · Graham Shipley

Feb. 2013 · Routledge

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Human Landscapes in Classical Antiquity shows how today's environmental and ecological concerns can help illuminate our study of the ancient world. The contributors consider how the Greeks and Romans perceived their natural world, and how their perceptions affected society. The effects of human settlement and cultivation on the landscape are considered, as well as the representation of landscape in Attic drama. Various aspects of farming, such as the use of terraces and the significance of olive growing are examined. The uncultivated landscape was also important: hunting was a key social ritual for Greek and hellenistic elites, and 'wild' places were not wastelands but played an essential economic role. The Romans' attempts to control their environment are analyzed.
This volume shows how Greeks and Romans worked hand in hand with their natural environment and not against it. It represents an outstanding collaboration between the disciplines of history and archaeology.

Autoren-Profil

John Salmon has been the staff historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the state historic preservation office, since 1987. The idea for the Guide grew out of his work with the Virginia phase of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission study.