Insects

Abstract

Countless species of insect inhabit the Mediterranean and Near East, and many of them influenced, directly or indirectly, the lives of those who inhabited these regions in antiquity. Their impact ranged from merely irritating (e.g., gnats) to potentially devastating (e.g., locusts) or lucrative (bees, silk worms). Ancient zoological and agricultural texts discuss insects at considerable length, and these animals regularly appear in other genres of literature. Depictions of insects are found on coins, amulets, paintings, and in other media.