Battle Elephants and Flaming Foxes: animals in the Roman world

Review by Chris Epplett Over the past few years, there has been an increasing number of books and studies written on humankind’s interactions with and exploitation of the natural world. The book under review, drawn from the author’s background as both an animal lover and a student of ancient history, is yet another addition to this ever-growing field of publications. As she notes in her introduction, an understanding of the role of animals in Roman society contributes to a deeper understanding of Roman history as a whole. Much of the book consists of numerous anecdotes and accounts from a variety of Greek and Roman authors concerning different animals, as well as how they were reg