The Sustainable Past

In this podcast series, created specifically for the Italian Cultural Institute, London, Drs. Patty Baker and Giacomo Savani explore what we can learn from the ancient Romans and Greeks to help with environmental sustainability issues today. Environmental concerns are of critical importance for ourselves, future generations, and all life on our delicate planet. There are many scientific studies and activist groups that are trying to correct the situation; yet, it is only recently that scholars in the humanities have started to contribute to these discussions. So, we speak with leading scholars, embedded in the arts and humanities of the ancient world, who explore what we can do to help revert this crisis. A theme that runs throughout the interviews is one of resilience. Each speaker also explains their personal view of what we can learn from the past to help make the world more sustainable for the future. Artwork: Untitled by Dr. Giacomo SavaniMusic:played by Daniel Veesey Sonata 8 Pathetique III Rondo Allegro, BeethovenRoyalty Free for public use from Pixabay Pixabay

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The Sustainable Past

The Sustainable Past: Episode Four, Ancient Landscapes and Mountains with Professor Jason König

April 29, 2021 • Patricia Baker and Giacomo Savani • Season 1 • Episode 4

Professor Jason König speaks to us about ancient Greco-Roman literature on the environment, in particular ancient relationships with mountains.

Professor Jason König is the assistant director of the Center for Ancient Environmental Studies at the University of St. Andrews. He is currently working on ancient representations of landscape and the environment. The main focus of this is a book on the representation of mountains in ancient literature and culture. The project is supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant, entitled ‘Mountains in ancient literature and culture and their postclassical reception’. He is also exploring the opportunities and challenges involved in bringing ancient Greek and Roman literature into dialogue with approaches from ecocriticism and the environmental humanities. A recent co-edited volume is entitled Mountain Dialogues from Antiquity to Modernity with Dawn Hollis for Bloomsbury.

Artwork: "Unititled" by Dr. Giacomo Savani

Music: Music: played by Daniel Veesey Sonata 8 Pathetique III Rondo Allegro, Beethoven. Royalty Free for public use from Pixabay <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=8">Pixabay</a>