Forest Conditions. 11 
the Syrians (189 B. C.), although other considerations 
may have forced these actions. Denuded hills and scarcity 
of building timber in certain parts are mentioned at the 
end of the third century before Christ, and that the 
need for conservative use of timber resources had ar- 
tived also appears from the fact that when (167 B. C.) 
the Romans had brought Macedonia under their sway, 
the cutting of ship timber in the extensive forests of 
that country was prohibited. Although at that time 
the Roman State forests were still quite extensive, it is 
evident that under the system of renting these for the 
mast and pasture and for the exploitation of their 
timber to a company of contractors, their devastation 
was then rapidly progressing. Yet, on the whole, with 
local exceptions, Italy remained well wooded until the 
Christian era. 
In Spain, according to Diodorus Siculus (about 100 
B. C.), the Southern provinces were densely wooded 
when about 200 B. C. the Romans first took possession ; 
but a great forest fire starting from the Pyrenees ran 
over the country, exposing deposits of silver ore which 
invited a large influx of miners, the cause of reckless 
deforestation of the country. The interior of this penin- 
sula, however, was probably always forestless or at least 
scantily wooded. 
While through colonization, exploitation, fire and 
other abuse, the useful forest area was decimated in 
many parts, the location of the Mediterranean peninsular 
countries was such that wood supplies could be readily 
secured by water from distant paris, and the lignarit 
or wood merchants of Italy drew their supplies even 
from India by way of Alexandria; they went for Ash to 
