Margaret Ermarth Institute for the Public Humanities

Environmental Collapse and its Aftermath: Some Lessons from our Ancient Past

Presentation by Assistant Professor of Religion Travis Proctor

In this presentation, Travis Proctor will explore how ancient societies changed in response to environmental disasters. The focus of the presentation will be on the ancient city of Ephesus, located in modern-day Turkey. Ephesus faced many environmental challenges, including a changing climate, flooding, over-silting of its harbor, the spread of disease, and earthquakes. These challenges threatened many of the city’s most valued cultural institutions, including its ancestral religions and political systems. The presentation will explore how Ephesians responded to these challenges both through technological innovations and cultural changes, while examining questions that have relevance for the environmental challenges we face today.