Cultural History of Insects in Antiquity

A Cultural History of Insects in Antiquity covers the period from 1000 BCE to 500 CE. As different cultures expanded so did their interactions with insects, largely seen as vectors of disease and as agricultural and bodily pests. However, as knowledge of insects grew, insect products were developed, notably honey or beeswax as used in food, preservation, medicine, and religious ritual. Insects were feared but were also invested with great power, even sanctity. The jewelry of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome fashioned insects into symbols of the beauty of nature, whilst literary and sacred texts transformed insects into metaphors for fertility and immortality.

The six-volume set of the Cultural History of Insects presents the first comprehensive history from antiquity to today of all forms and aspects of human-insect interaction. The themes covered in each volume are insect knowledge; insects and disease; insects and food; insect products; insects in mythology and religion; insects as symbols; insects in literature and language; and insects in art.