This chapter addresses the very roots of the concept of sustainability. Since the concept of sustainability has always mirrored value judgments about justice in distributing and using resources, it is important to deal with the original philosophical dimension and to consider Aristotle’s teaching distinguishing between various types of justice and endorsing a pro-merit approach as well as virtues as expressed by the Biblical parables (Sect. 4.1). On a more practical level, sustainability was a commitment and a call for accountability, especially by, and for, the leaders in antiquity in the social and economic context (Sect. 4.2). The multi-spectral commitment to sustainability and long-term preferences over immediate consumption gratification was one of the factors for the survival of ancient societies engaging with flooding and cultivation management. Indeed, it was the key for the hundreds of years’ long glory of the Ancient Roman Empire, and even to the renaissance. However, this was not the only approach and the emerging concept of sustainability in Europe can be contrasted with different approaches to the management of resources outside of Western culture (Sect. 4.3).