The fate of Rome : climate, disease, and the end of an empire
(Book)
Author
Published
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2017].
Physical Desc
417 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.
Status
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Location | Call Number | Status |
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Kent Denver Upper School - NONFICTION | 937.06 HAR | On Shelf |
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Published
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2017].
Format
Book
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 351-412) and index.
Description
A sweeping new history of how climate change and disease helped bring down the Roman Empire. Here is the monumental retelling of one of the most consequential chapters of human history: the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome is the first book to examine the catastrophic role that climate change and infectious diseases played in the collapse of Rome's power--a story of nature's triumph over human ambition. Interweaving a grand historical narrative with cutting-edge climate science and genetic discoveries, Kyle Harper traces how the fate of Rome was decided not just by emperors, soldiers, and barbarians but also by volcanic eruptions, solar cycles, climate instability, and devastating viruses and bacteria. He takes readers from Rome's pinnacle in the second century, when the empire seemed an invincible superpower, to its unraveling by the seventh century, when Rome was politically fragmented and materially depleted. Harper describes how the Romans were resilient in the face of enormous environmental stress, until the besieged empire could no longer withstand the combined challenges of a "little ice age" and recurrent outbreaks of bubonic plague. A poignant reflection on humanity's intimate relationship with the environment, The Fate of Rome provides a sweeping account of how one of history's greatest civilizations encountered, endured, yet ultimately succumbed to the cumulative burden of nature's violence. The example of Rome is a timely reminder that climate change and germ evolution have shaped the world we inhabit--in ways that are surprising and profound. - Publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Harper, K. (2017). The fate of Rome: climate, disease, and the end of an empire . Princeton University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Harper, Kyle, 1979-. 2017. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. Princeton University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Harper, Kyle, 1979-. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire Princeton University Press, 2017.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Harper, Kyle. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire Princeton University Press, 2017.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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