Huge volcano eruption in Alaska helped end Roman Republic, scientists say
- Eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano in 43 BCE linked to period of extreme cold in ancient Rome, study suggests
- This may have reduced crop yields during time of ongoing political upheavals
The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE triggered a nearly two-decade power struggle that led to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
Historic records say the period was marked with strange sightings in the sky, unusually cold weather and widespread famine – and a new study suggests a volcanic eruption in Alaska may have been the cause.
The paper was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.
An international team of scientists and historians used an analysis of volcanic ash (tephra) found in Arctic ice cores to link the period of unexplained extreme climate in the Mediterranean with the crater-forming eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano in 43 BCE.
“To find evidence that a volcano on the other side of the Earth erupted and effectively contributed to the demise of the Romans and the Egyptians and the rise of the Roman Empire is fascinating,” said lead author Joe McConnell of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nevada.