"Accessible in style, wide-ranging in scope, and innovative in its combination of ancient sources and relevant modern scholarship, Toner's book constitutes an excellent and long-overdue survey of Roman disasters generally, as well as offering insightful analyses of an array of topics, from Roman attitudes towards maritime risk to early Christian notions of divine causation."Greg Aldrete, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay"Professor Toner offers a fascinating portrait of how disaster was treated in the Roman world, at once so different from our own and offering compelling parallels. For me, a good grasp of the modern disasters field adds to the interest. In entertaining a wider range of issues than is usual, the study offers cause for reflection and a broadening of contemporary approaches."Kenneth Hewitt, Wilfrid Laurier University

Jerry Toner is the director of studies in classics at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.

1. What is a Disaster? 2. Rome's Disasters 3. The Disaster Experience 4. Dealing with the Aftermath 5. Thinking about Disaster 6. A Culture of Risk 7. Narratives of Disaster 8. Inflicting Catastrophe 9. The Psychological Impact 10. Roman Disasters in Context