Ancient historical studies have traditionally followed the literary sources in their preoccupation with wars and international relations, political events and institutions, and the careers and personalities of powerful and charismatic individuals. However, the first concern of the vast majority of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean in ancient times was not whether Alexander the Great would reach the Ocean that surrounded the inhabited world, or whether Julius Caesar was justified in crossing the Rubicon, but food: how to feed themselves and their dependants.

Famine is a major preoccupation of geographers, anthropologists, economists and historians of periods other than antiquity. While interest has been kindled by contemporary events, it is also recognised that the study of famine leads to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of particular societies.

Historians of antiquity have by and large neglected the topic. There is room for a study that will assess the ability of the peoples of the ancient Mediterranean to produce and distribute essential foods in a setting marked by climatic variability, traditional farming methods, a rudimentary transport system and a significant level of urbanisation.

Food crisis is a consequence of the breakdown of the system of production, distribution and consumption of essential foodstuffs. An analysis of the origins and impact of famine would involve one in an investigation of the whole material basis of Graeco-Roman civilisation. Discussion of these matters must be postponed for the present. This book is limited in focus; it concerns the responses of both urban and rural dwellers to food crises, actual or anticipated.