Irrigation as innovation in ancient Greek agriculture

Krasilnikoff, Jens A.

doi:10.1080/00438240903430365

Cited by 10 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Here, in a speech by Demosthenes, one country dweller allegedly caused damage by diverting excessive rainwater into his neighbor's property (Demosthenes 55, Against Callicles). A similar situation and the ambition to prevent farmers to divert water across the land of neighbors motivated the lawgivers of 5th century Gortyn, Crete, to accept a law regulating and preventing the negative effects of leading water across the land of neighbors [13].…”

Section: Water Conflicts In Historical Time (Ca Bc-330 Ad)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future

et al. 2021

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Since prehistoric times, water conflicts have occurred as a result of a wide range of tensions and/or violence, which have rarely taken the form of traditional warfare waged over water resources alone. Instead, water has historically been a (re)source of tension and a factor in conflicts that start for other reasons. In some cases, water was used directly as a weapon through its ability to cause damage through deprivation or erosion or water resources of enemy populations and their armies. However, water conflicts, both past and present, arise for several reasons; including territorial disputes, fight for resources, and strategic advantage. The main reasons of water conflicts are usually delimitation of boundaries, waterlogging (e.g., dams and lakes), diversion of rivers flow, running water, food, and political distresses. In recent decades, the number of human casualties caused by water conflicts is more than that of natural disasters, indicating the importance of emerging trends on water wars in the world. This paper presents arguments, fights, discourses, and conflicts around water from ancient times to the present. This diachronic survey attempts to provide water governance alternatives for the current and future.

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Section: Water Conflicts In Historical Time (Ca Bc-330 Ad)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…from Anticyra, where it was abundant (Polyaenus, Stratagems 6.13). The war lasted 10 years [13]. Kirrha was besieged by land and sea, but eventually succumbed only when the besiegers poisoned the springs that supplied the city with the poisonous plant.…”

Section: Water Conflicts In Historical Time (Ca Bc-330 Ad)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future

et al. 2021

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“…There is, however, little evidence to support this as a gradual development and general trend. Contrary to this, some argue that gardening (primarily of kitchen gardens) and regular field cultivation, respectively, represented quite different modes of cultivation, concentration of resources such as manure and labor, and food production strategies [78,79]. In addition, scholars have maintained the existence of balanced modes of agropastoralism throughout antiquity (e.g., [80]), whereas intensive irrigation-based farming has been pondered more recently [77,79].…”

Section: The Archaic Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is a distinct possibility that appliance of combined techniques of drainage and irrigation facilitated the transformation of substantial parts of Metaponto's territory from marginal, wet, and uncultivable land into arable 'land of the plains' suitable for agriculture. Thus, from an early date, Hellenes employed drainage to implement environmental change [79].…”

Section: The Archaic Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sacred island of Delos saw early successful attempts of irrigation and drainage. From an early date, due to the island's meagre water resources, the islanders developed capabilities to collect, store, and control water in the winter and divert it to fields in the growth season [79,95]. In addition, in Delos, drainage works were probably constructed in order to control the seasonal overflow of water from the islands limited karst-fed water reservoir [75], which presumably was redistributed among the numerous gardens of the island.…”

Section: The Classical and The Hellenistic Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Evolution of Agricultural Drainage from the Earliest Times to the Present

et al. 2020

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Agricultural developments require changes in land surface and subsurface hydraulic functions as protection from floods, reclamation of flooded land, irrigation, and drainage. Drainage of agricultural land has a long history and apparently traces back to the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Iran before 4000 BC. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations developed techniques and strategies of drainage of agricultural lands from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. After the collapse of the Aegean Bronze-age civilizations, society building and agricultural innovation in the archaic and Classical periods (ca. 800–300 BC) included successful attempts at controlling drainage and irrigation techniques. In addition, China, India, and Mesoamerica have extensive histories of drainage. The aim of this review paper is to trace the evolution of the main foundings on agricultural drainage technologies through the centuries until the present. This historical review reveals valuable insights into ancient hydraulic technologies as well as irrigation and drainage management that will help to find bright horizons for sustainable agriculture in future.

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Pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece

Mavrogenis

Saranteas

Markatos

et al. 2018

International Orthopaedics (SICOT)

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Purpose To summarize pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece, to present several pharmaceutical/therapeutical methods reported in myths and ancient texts, and to theorize on the medical explanation upon which these pharmacies were used. Method A thorough literature search was undertaken in PubMed and Google Scholar as well as in physical books in libraries to summarize the pharmacies and pain practices used for trauma in ancient Greece. Results Archeological findings and historical texts have revealed that humans have always suffered from diseases and trauma that were initially managed and healed by priests and magicians. In early Greek antiquity, the term pharmacy was related to herbal inquiries, with the occupants called charmers and pharmacists. Additionally, apart from therapeutic methods, ancient Greeks acknowledged the importance of pain therapy and had invented certain remedies for both acute and chronic pain management. With observations and obtaining experience, they used plants, herbs, metals and soil as a therapeutic method, regardless of the cultural level of the population. They achieved sedation and central and peripheral analgesia with opium and cold, as well as relaxation of smooth muscle fibers and limiting secretions with atropina. Conclusion History showed a lot of experience obtained from empirical testing of pain treatment in ancient people. Experience and reasoning constructed an explanatory account of diseases, therapies and health and have provided for the epistemology of medicine.

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Irrigation as innovation in ancient Greek agriculture

Cited by 10 publications

References 14 publications

Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future

Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future

The Evolution of Agricultural Drainage from the Earliest Times to the Present

Pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece

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