C. states his ambitious aim and methodology for this work clearly in the preface and in Chapter 1. He is both studying ‘people and events in the ancient world from a different perspective’ (p. xiv) and ‘placing the rivers of the Roman world in their geographical, topographical, social and cultural context, above all, by examining how the ancients described them’ (p. 37). This is a study of writing (and hence thinking)Footnote ¹ about rivers and water management in the Graeco-Roman period, not a work to consult for a scientific, or palaeo-environmental, reconstruction of ancient rivers. After a brief introduction to the hydrological cycle comes a short and badly dated treatment of diachronic changes in the Mediterranean riverine environment (pp. 10–13).Footnote ² Any engagement with scientific palaeo-climatic or environmental reconstructions is mediated through the writings of environmental historians and archaeologists, both here and on pp. 206–7. Given the paucity and anecdotal nature of the evidence in comparison with environmental historical studies of more recent periods (pp. 32–40), C. draws together written sources from a wide area, the entire Roman empire, and time period, starting primarily at the beginning of the Principate and going at times as far as the sixth century a.d. These historical texts are supplemented with archaeological evidence where possible (p. 33), for example in discussion of river trade.

A wide-ranging and largely descriptive survey occupies Chapters 2–9. Arrangement by type of source material (Chapters 2–4) transitions in Chapter 5 to thematic arrangement (Chapters 6–9). The survey of geographical writers on rivers in Chapter 2 shows the varied ways that ancient writers construed rivers as a boon (usually) and also as a destructive force. Chapter 3, looking at the writings of ancient lawyers and surveyors, shows the benefit of C.’s long study in these texts. He suggests that these two groups, while performing different functions and responding to different needs, both dealt with legal issues arising from the alteration of public rivers, which were often used as boundaries. Although detecting an increasing protection of the rights of landholders over time, C. comes down on the side of those who believe that the Roman state could expropriate the land of private individuals when necessary, disagreeing with, recently, R. Taylor (Public Needs and Private Pleasures [2000]). In literary, religious and artistic representation (Chapter 4), rivers and springs figured prominently, often in personified, standardised ways even as they functioned as local or national signifiers.

Chapter 5 shows from ancient military writings that rivers had great military importance for the same reasons that they were managed and exploited in non-military spheres (Chapter 6): transport, water supply and their potential to flood. Here C. also surveys additional non-military uses (fishing, irrigation and hydropower) and engineering of rivers through canals and dams. The next two chapters look more closely at the transport of goods by river on a regional basis around the entire Empire. The Northern and Western provinces (in particular Spain and Gaul), as well as Asia Minor, seem to have made greater use of rivers to transport goods than Italy or, especially, Greece and North Africa. Chapter 9 looks at non-economic and military uses for water: entertainment, fishing and healing, and considers yet another genre: medical literature.

The concluding chapter shows, appropriately, how symbolism was employed to demonstrate the Roman power over rivers. Strong themes throughout the work are Roman ecological imperialism, shown above all by bridging, diverting and taxing trade on rivers in conquered areas, as well as local pride in, and identification with, rivers.

The book is well written, making for a pleasant and easy read, especially for students. Graeco-Roman specialists will lament the presence of Latin or Greek only for selected terms, with all passages being given only in English translation. There are helpful indexes, although not one of passages cited, and very few typographical errors for a work of this size.Footnote ³ The book is well illustrated with nineteen mapsFootnote ⁴ and with black-and-white images, although several of the depictions of coins are of poor quality (e.g. figs 7 and 19).

Has C.’s methodological approach borne fruit? This book serves as a thorough descriptive survey of the varied Graeco-Roman writings on rivers and water management over a broad geographical, chronological and thematic expanse. This large scope makes the book very useful as a reference work. In practice, due to the nature of the source material, much of the discussion is based on the Italian and, to a lesser extent, Greek situation, which is partially offset by the arrangement by region of the topic of the movement of goods by river. As C. readily admits (p. xiv), such a work cannot be definitive and readers will want to supplement C.’s overview with more focused studies. An example is the treatment of the aqueducts of Rome, particularly the use of Frontinus’ De Aquis as a source. Frontinus’ allegations of fraud on the part of subordinates seem to be taken at face value (p. 90), without mention of the recent scholarship showing the tendentious nature of the text (e.g. A. König, ‘Knowledge and Power in Frontinus’ On Aqueducts’, in J. König and T. Whitmarsh, Ordering Knowledge in the Roman Empire [2007], pp. 177–205), or of recent scepticism that he could actually detect fraud through measurement of flowrate (e.g. C. Bruun, ‘The Impossibility of Reaching an Exact Value for the Roman Quinaria Measure’, in R. Rodgers, Frontinus. De Aquaeductu Urbis Romae [2004], pp. 342–6). Frontinus’ belief that he was able to do so (possible means are suggested in Taylor, op. cit., pp. 33–9) could have been usefully added to the discussion following C.’s suggestion that the Romans were unable to measure flowrate (p. 33). The Aqua Appia aqueduct is misnamed the Appia Claudia (p. 236). R. Coates-Stephens’ interesting thesis (‘The Walls and Aqueducts of Rome in the Early Middle Ages, ad 500–1000’, JRS 88 [1998], 239–59) that the springs near Gabii were not the source of the Aqua Alexandrina, but of the Antoniniana, could supplement the discussion on p. 237.

Although C. suggests ‘it should be possible to compare river valley communities’ (p. 37), really useful comparisons do not arise as much as one might hope, perhaps due to the paucity of evidence that C. has already noted. The reader comes away with the impression of a fairly uniform Roman water culture, with little geographic variation or influence from other cultures the Romans encountered, for example when C. generalises about the religious associations of springs and rivers across the empire and through time (pp. 128–40).Footnote ⁵ This is probably an inevitable consequence of a work focusing on Roman texts, a large enough scope in itself, and, as C. notes (p. 136), much Roman and non-Roman practice has left no trace. One is left wondering, however, what light would be shed on acculturation under the Roman Empire if a thorough comparison with pre- and non-Roman evidence, particularly texts from Egypt and the Hellenistic world, and archaeological evidence from Nabataean, Jewish and North African cultures (especially the work of Andrew Wilson), was made. Here again more focused studies would usefully supplement C.’s survey.

More chronological variation is presented, although there is little discussion of what impact, if any, Christianity had on Roman water culture. A full treatment of this theme would be another book, but it should probably be considered when the chronological scope covers the Christianisation of the Roman world.

By surveying an impressive array of written texts, C. has created an interesting mix of environmental, economic, technological and intellectual history with a very broad geographical, chronological and thematic scope. Supplemented with more focused and analytical studies, this work will be the starting point and constant reference for much future research on Roman water management.