IM u ENVIRONMENT 



em man has presumably a higher nervous organization. 

 Hut liuntington believes that since first the race gained 

 the rudiments of civilization, it has always made most 

 rapid progress under essentially the same climatic condi- 

 Thc rnn.iiti.-nrt are that the summers shall have 

 a sufficient tlegree of warmth and of rainfall to make agri- 

 culture easy and profitable, but not enough to be 

 enervating; that the winters shall be cool enough to be 

 hut not deadening; ami that the relation of sum- 

 mer to winter shall be such that with forethought every 

 man can support himself and his family in comfort the 

 year round, whil.- \\ithout forethought he and his will 

 suffer seriously."" These conditions appear to have 

 been present in each of the great nations of history at 

 line when it has risen to the highest degree of civili- 

 ii and power. 1 Mirinir the early part of the Christian 

 there was a < ly sudden desiccation in < Vntral 



Asia. During the previous centuries the region was 

 moist and fertile. It supported a vast population of 

 men ami animals. When the rainfall decreased fifty per 

 .. flocks of sheep .liminished and the inhabitants 

 were obliged to migrate in search of food. As these 

 nomadic tribes pressed outward from Central Ana, 

 they came in contact with others. Peoples pressed upon 

 peoples, confusion in every direction, the wave 



of migration was felt in Kurope two thousand miles 

 in Caesar's time. Kurope was cold and swampy, 

 but as it became wanner the throngs of primitive peoples, 

 Iriv.-n from behind by the hordes of restless nomads who 

 had forsaken the arid Caspian basin, swarmed into this 

 t.rtile country. Climatic changes in Rome sapped the 

 igth of the original population, so that in time the 



"/fcwf . pp. 381 382. 



