A surprising description of the Mediterranean and its surrounding landscapes, resembling a collage of lace and sackcloth. 

‘For the Mediterranean is a sea surrounded by mountain ranges: its fertile plains and river-valleys are like pieces of lace sewn on to sackcloth.’ 

Source: Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity, AD 150-750, London: Thames & Hudson, 1971 (1995), p. 12

Photo credit: Science Photo Library