Gli Antichi, l’Ambiente, la “Biodiversità

Abstract

The study underlying this book stems from the debate around the geological and historical phenomenon of the Anthropocene. It is an investigation into the forms of environmental relations and the “ecological” sense of ancient societies, especially within Graeco-Roman culture. Although the modern ideas of “eco-sustainability” and “biodiversity” are alien to ancient theoretical thinking, these principles can be observed in numerous habits of ancient societies. Bearing in mind of our own contemporary environmental crisis and the climate debate, the aim is to examine the sources to check for possible similarities, antecedents, cultural prodromes, lines of thought, divergencies. Classical writings are in themselves testimonies of an ecological-environmental character and as such can be read and evaluated, along with the many other implications of content that they also entail. The notions of environmental “impoverishment”, “exploitation and loss” of plant species and “biodiversity”, which identify a range of related implications and phenomena, constitute the main research themes of this study.