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1 Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
2 Centre for Volcanic Studies, University of Luton, Luton LU1 3JU, UK
3 Planetary Image Centre, University College London, Mill Hill Park, London NW7 2QS, UK
4 Department of Classical Studies, Brandeis University M.S. 016, Waltham, MA 02254-9110, USA
5 Klassiek Seminarium, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Oude Turfmarkt 129, 1012 GC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Volcanoes and eruptive activity played a part in the lives of many people in southern Italy during the classical era, no more so than on the flanks of Mount Etna (Sicily), a volcano that has been continually active throughout the historical period. Both the Romans and Greeks settled at the foot and on the lower flanks of the volcano and it seems likely that they were attracted to the region by its considerable agricultural potential, in particular its plentiful supplies of water. In this paper, literary sources are used to explore three aspects of human response to the activity of Etna during the classical period. First, the role of Etna as a stimulus to the development of myth and legend is considered, and is followed by a discussion of more ‘scientific’ explanations of the volcano’s activity. To a large extent Etna’s volcanic activity was ascribed by early writers to mythological figures, but other authors, such as Empedocles and Lucretius, stand apart from this tradition by seeking more rational explanations. The paper concludes with a discussion of what can and cannot be gleaned about the eruptive behaviour of Etna during the classical period by using literature-based and geological sources of information in combination. Records suggest that the city of Catania was partly destroyed by lava in c. 693 BC and in 425 BC. The eruption of 122 BC was unusual for Etna in being explosive, and significant amounts of ash and lapilli were deposited on the southeastern flanks of the volcano, causing great distress in Catania, which required the provision of state aid.
