Tucson Botanical Gardens: Roots Unearthed – How Ancient Roman Botany Shaped the Plant Sciences

The expansion of the ancient Roman world yielded an abundance of knowledge about the variety of botanical life within and beyond its borders. A burgeoning awareness of different species engendered innovative literary and scientific treatments of plants and their attributes, from idealized poetic depictions of nature to rigorous scientific studies. By tracing the origins of the plant sciences from Linnaeus back to the Romans, I will explore the lasting impact of ancient botany and the enduring symbiosis between humanistic and scientific endeavors.

Topics to be discussed include ancient botanical classification and description, the history of Latin as a scientific language, and the development of botanical nomenclature.

Ages 18+