Review of Pan's Travail
J. Donald Hughes, Pan's Travail, (Baltimore, 1994), 277 pp. Oddly enough, there is little biographical information available on J. Donald Hughes. His special interest in the Mediterranean and sacred groves is evidenced by the numerous books and articles he has published on the subject. He is multilingual, fluent in German, Greek, and Spanish with basic skills in French and Russian as well. He received his doctorate in History from Boston University and then taught at several different colleges. He is currently a History professor at the University of Denver, and the author of eight other books and articles about environmental history. The first four chapters (out of eleven total) are dedicated to providing the reader with background information. Hughes gives an overview of environmental history and ecology as a whole, preparing the reader to narrow the focus of these concepts to a single area: the Mediterranean Basin. He also describes this region and discusses why it is such a unique ecosystem. Not only are climate, land, and sea addressed, but a charming section on the different winds of each section of the region is also included. Pre-history is touched upon, and Hughes examines Egyptian and Mesopotamian societie
The combination of cattle, sheep, goats, and swine were incredibly destructive to all vegetation and soil of the area. Forests that had been cleared for grazing were never able to regrow. Literary evidence shows how Greek and Roman religion viewed the world as a sacred place. Overgrazing was also a major contributor to deforestation. Chapter five looks at deforestation, overgrazing and erosion. Chapters five through nine begin discussing the environmental problems that the Greeks and Romans encountered. When this did occur, little was done to stop the practice of venationes. s and their relationships with nature. Chapter eleven sums up the previous chapters by examining as a whole the gradual decay of Greek and Roman civilization. Erosion wreaked havoc on the economy: as silt washed away, it traveled along the rivers and was deposited at their mouths. This damage also led to problems with erosion. There is a sharp contrast between the lifestyles of the economic classes, and Hughes is quick to point out that unless you were wealthy, life was not at all pleasant in Rome. The style is surprisingly easy to read, given the weighty subject matter.
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