Introduction

Summary

Taking its cue from Thoreau’s Walden, the Introduction characterizes the book’s subject matter and approach as “environmental philology.” This newly minted method of studying issues related to the natural world springs from the better-established, more familiar labels “environmental philosophy” and “environmental humanities.” By philology is meant simply the methods and materials that comprise the multidisciplinary field of Classics, which is the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature and culture in all its facets.