Pliny the elders most popular book is natural history. These selections from the natural history are fascinating. The rest was published posthumously by plinys nephew, pliny the younger. Spending most of his spare time studying, writing, and investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, pliny wrote the encyclopedic naturalis historia natural history, which. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. The table below is a summary based on modern names for topics.
Although pliny did not distinguish between fact, opinion, and speculation in his 37volume treatise, he can be credited with. Natural history pliny project gutenberg selfpublishing. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover all ancient knowledge. Pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. In ad 77, pliny published his famous 37volume work naturalis historia or natural history. The natural history there is no book so bad that some good cannot be got out of it, pliny the elder used to say, and he read everything that he could obtain. This extraordinary work was originally composed and.
Details natural history biodiversity heritage library. Pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology, medicine to magic. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by pliny, the elder author. Plinys historia naturalis natural history is a vast encyclopaedic work and the only. Covid19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny, vol i. You very justly, sir, express the fear that the lake may drain itself dry if its waters are turned into the river and so into the sea, but i fancy that i have discovered a way to meet this difficulty.
Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Divine speaker and that from this circumstance originated. Plinys natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history, by h. Latin editions is that of 10 volumes in issued at paris in octavo in 182732.
Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge the contents of the books are as follows. This ancient roman may have been an author, statesman and military. He published the first 10 books in ad 77, but had not made a final revision of the remainder at the time of his death during the ad 79 eruption of. Beginning of book 10, on the nature of birds, including the ostrich, the.
Natural history, volume iii, books 811 loeb classical library no. He published the first 10 books in ad 77, but had not made a final revision of the remainder at the time of his death during the ad79 eruption of vesuvius. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Naturalis historia is an early encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to pliny. It is a rule, sir, which i inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts. Pliny was an energetic man, hugely desirous of literary immortality, who wrote his books in the interstices of a full career as a soldier and an administrator. For in his sleep he thought that the figure of drusus nero10 stood by. Pliny the elder, the natural history john bostock, m. Pliny the elder has 277 books on goodreads with 3818 ratings. Plinys natural history project gutenberg selfpublishing.
Pliny the elder, the first wine critic and why he still. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage library. Hese books, containing the history of nature, which a few days since i. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history attalus. Direct observation, informed speculation and common knowledge are combined to present a key snapshot of ancient thought and the romans perspective on the world around them. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by the elder pliny free ebook project gutenberg. The natural history was one of the first ancient european texts to be printed, in venice in 1469. Book vii of the natural history provides a detailed examination of the human animal and is.
The homepage for plinys natural history the historia naturalis of c. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history. The natural history of pliny, volume 6 bohns classical library the natural history of pliny, henry thomas riley. Pliny read and dictated in a sedan chair as he moved about urban areas. The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such subjects as botany, zoology, and astronomy. Preface pliny natural history preface plinius secundus to his dear vespasian a greeting. Most gracious highness let this title, a supremely true one, be yours, while that of most eminent grows to old age with your sirei have resolved to recount b to you, in a somewhat presumptuous letter, the offspring of my latest travail, my volumes of natural history a novel task for the native. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. Author pliny the elder country ancient rome subject natural history, ethnography, art, sculpture, mining, mineralogy genre encyclopaedia, popular science the natural history is a work by pliny the elder. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. Plinys historia naturalis natural history is a vast encyclopaedic work and the only book by him to have survived.
Publication date 1938 topics natural history publisher. Thence, at a distance of 32 miles, is the pro nontory of acra iapygia, at which point italy projects the greatest distance into the sea. Natural history encyclopedic scientific work by pliny the. It is the only work by pliny to have survived, and the last that he published. Naturalis historia naturalis historia, 1669 edition, title page. Naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. American museum of natural history handbook series no. Pliny the elder was a devotee of all things fermented, namely wine and beer. Natural history pliny wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Naturalis historia is a book about the whole of the natural world in latin by pliny the elder, a roman author and naval commander who died in 79 ad. Volume i of the natural history of gaius plinius secundus. Natural history pliny wikimili, the free encyclopedia wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Gaius plinius secundus, 23 79 ce was a roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early roman empire, and friend of the emperor vespasian.
Pliny the elder, roman savant and author of the celebrated natural history, an encyclopedic work of uneven accuracy that was an authority on scientific matters up to the middle ages. Lecheae hinc, cenchreae illinc angustiarum termini, longo et ancipiti navium ambitu quas magnitudo plaustris transvehi prohibet. Pliny s natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. Natural history, encyclopaedic scientific work of dubious accuracy by pliny the elder, completed in 77 ce as naturae historiae and conventionally known as naturalis historia.