The Distribution of Human Health and Energy on the Basis of Climate. 



northern Europe and Scandinavia. A parallel to this has been 

 traced by Huntington in a study of Rome. He demonstrates 

 the effect of climate on Mediterranean peoples when the 

 cyclonic sequence of storm and rain through southern Europe 

 and Asia Minor ran south of its present course. The polar 

 front of opposing pressures and temperatures moved south 

 from the 60° latitude to the neighborhood of the 40° line. 



Roughly the optimum climatic times for the Mediterranean 

 peoples ran with minor fluctuations from 1200 b.c. to 200 a.d. 

 This was due to a plentiful rainfall and a more energetic 

 climate. The rivers were full and watered the plains. Hunt- 

 ington states that the decline of Greece was due largely to 

 malarial poisoning, because a declining rainfall left stagnant 

 and ill-drained pools and swamps as breeding places for 

 mosquitoes. After 200 a.d., when the Italian climate also 

 deteriorated, agriculture fell off, farms came into the hands 



