In the year 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by his fellow Roman leaders. Within the next twenty years, both the Roman Republic and the Egyptian Ptolemaic (toll-im-ay-ick) Dynasty ended, replaced by the Roman Empire. Caesar’s death wasn’t the only cause, though; scientists say this political change got some major help from an Alaskan volcano.
Mount Okmok, found on an island in the Pacific Ocean, experienced a massive eruption in 43 BC, one year after Caesar’s death. A huge amount of ash and other particles were ejected into the atmosphere and then spread across the globe. This cloud changed the temperature and weather of the entire Northern Hemisphere for several years.
This new discovery matches what historians already knew. Records show that unusual weather during this time resulted in high rates of crop failure, hunger and disease. These factors combined with political unrest to bring down two of the period’s largest civilisations. Quite impressive for a volcano on the other side of the world.
Lachlan Writes Science 