An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy

Seth Bernard; Joseph McConnell; Federico Di Rita; Fabrizio Michelangeli; Donatella Magri; Laura Sadori; Alessia Masi; Monica Bini; Alessandra Celant; Angela Trentacoste; Lisa Lodwick; J. Troy Samuels; Marta Mariotti Lippi; Cristina Bellini; Claudia Paparella; Dan El Padilla Peralta; James Tan; Peter van Dommelen; Andrea U. De Giorgi; Caroline Cheung

doi:10.1162/jinh_a_01971

An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy

Seth Bernard, Joseph McConnell, Federico Di Rita, Fabrizio Michelangeli, Donatella Magri, Laura Sadori, Alessia Masi, Monica Bini, Alessandra Celant, Angela Trentacoste, Lisa Lodwick, J. Troy Samuels, Marta Mariotti Lippi, Cristina Bellini, Claudia Paparella, Dan El Padilla Peralta, James Tan, Peter van Dommelen, Andrea U. De Giorgi, Caroline Cheung

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4 Scopus citations

Abstract

A first synthesis of available data for the period of Rome’s expansion in Italy (about 400–29 b.c.e.) shows the role of climate and environment in early Roman imperialism. Although global indices suggest a warmer phase with relatively few short-term climate events occuring around the same time as the expansion, local data emphasize the highly variable timing and expression of these trends. This variability casts doubt on ideas of a unitary, historically consequential “Roman Warm Period.” The historical importance of climate and environment to socioeconomic development merits emphasis, but should be understood in terms of evolving, contingent forms of resilience and risk-mitigating behavior by Italian communities during Roman expansion.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-41
Number of pages	41
Journal	Journal of Interdisciplinary History
Volume	54
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_a_01971
State	Published - Jun 1 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

History
History and Philosophy of Science

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Bernard, S., McConnell, J., Di Rita, F., Michelangeli, F., Magri, D., Sadori, L., Masi, A., Bini, M., Celant, A., Trentacoste, A., Lodwick, L., Troy Samuels, J., Lippi, M. M., Bellini, C., Paparella, C., Peralta, D. E. P., Tan, J., van Dommelen, P., De Giorgi, A. U., & Cheung, C. (2023). An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 54(1), 1-41. https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_a_01971

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Bernard, S, McConnell, J, Di Rita, F, Michelangeli, F, Magri, D, Sadori, L, Masi, A, Bini, M, Celant, A, Trentacoste, A, Lodwick, L, Troy Samuels, J, Lippi, MM, Bellini, C, Paparella, C, Peralta, DEP, Tan, J, van Dommelen, P, De Giorgi, AU & Cheung, C 2023, 'An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy', Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 1-41. https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_a_01971

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AU - Bini, Monica

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AU - Lodwick, Lisa

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AU - Paparella, Claudia

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An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy

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