Greek and Roman Technology : A Sourcebook

In this volume the contributors translate and annotate key passages from ancient authors to provide a history and analysis of the origins and development of technology. Among some of the topics extensively discussed are energy, food processing and diet, construction and hydraulic engineering, household industry, transport, trade and military technology. The contributors illustrate the beginning of technology in the ancient world by presenting ancient authors and a diverse range of literary genres, including Natural Histories of Pliny the Elder, the poetry of Homer and Hesiod, and the philosophy of Plato, Aristotle and Lucretius.