In "Pan's Travail", Hughes examines the environmental history of the classical period and argues that the decline of ancient civilizations resulted in part from exploitation of the natural world. Focusing on Greece and Rome, as well as areas subject to their influences, Hughes offers a detailed look at the impact of humans and their technologies on the ecology of the Mediterranean basin. He explores the complex relationships of human culture and the environment with topics that include deforestation and overgrazing, soil erosion, depletion of wildlife and natural resources, pollution, and urban problems such as water supply and sewage disposal. He also compares the ancient world's environmental problems to those of other eras and discusses attitudes toward nature expressed in Greek and Latin literature.
- ISBN10 0801846552
- ISBN13 9780801846557
- Publish Date 1 September 1993
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Out of Print 6 December 1995
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 288
- Language English