Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Pliny was a compiler, a gatherer and recorder of information. This lesson explores pliny s life, his natural history, and the outsized impact pliny had on medieval european thought. Museums oldest natural history book now accessible online.
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 2379 ce, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Swans ib 33 foreign birds which visit us the quail the glottis the cychramus and the otus. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of t. 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.
Probably, the teacher had died, and the pupil felt he owed this book as a homage. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. This is a fascinating book, yet is only a selection and a small one at that of plinys great work. Plinys historia naturalis natural history is a vast encyclopaedic work and the only book by him to have survived. Table of contents of the others and of authorities. The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such subjects as botany, zoology, and astronomy.
Pliny s natural history, either directly or indirectly through quotes by later authors, greatly influenced the development of the bestiary and other medieval beast literature. Natural history encyclopedic scientific work by pliny the. Gaius plinius secundus 23 ad august 25, 79 ad, better known as pliny the elder, was a roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early roman empire, and personal friend of the emperor vespasian. His nephew pliny the younger gives an indication how devoted his uncle was to reading and studying, which was like working to him. Dec 20, 2016 its author is roman philosopher and scholar gaius plinius secundus, commonly known as pliny the elder ad 2379.
Because all ancient greek paintings have been destroyed by time, natural disaster or vandalism, plinys remarks on the expertise of the painters are particularly valuable to anyone interested in greek art. Natural history, volume i, books 12 loeb classical library no. This extraordinary work was originally composed and. Pliny whose full name was gaius plinius secundus, was born at comum in the region north of the po river and was educated in rome. 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 all ancient knowledge. 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.
This book is a gem for many reasons, as it is the single largest written text to have survived the roman empire. Book 33 194 book 33 95164 gold, silver and mercury. Natural history pliny wikimili, the free encyclopedia wikimili, the free encyclopedia. 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. For the original article on pliny see dsb, see vol. Pliny the elders natural history is published in many volumes covering a number of topics, which he differentiates by books. My ideal natural history would therefore be for penguin to publish all thirtyseven volumes, yet with copious footnotes so as to learn the accuracy of what pliny says and understand those things that he may have taken for granted. Pliny, natural history book 33, sections 95164 translated by h. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. Pliny the elder compiled one of the worlds first encyclopedias. Librivox recording of the natural history, volume 3, by pliny the elder. Click on the l symbols to go to the latin text of each chapter.
As one of the largest and most comprehensive surviving works from the roman empire, pliny the elders natural history offers a rare glimpse into the scholarship of the ancient world. Modum agri in primis servandum antiqui putavere, quippe ita censebant, satius esse minus serere et melius arare, qua in sententia et vergilium fuisse video. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6, by pliny the elder this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the united states and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. Volume 9, books 3335, natural history loeb classical. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history. The natural history book vii with book viii 4 ebook written by pliny the pliny the elder. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny. In 37 books, pliny the eldernot to be confused with his nephew, pliny the youngercovers botany, zoology, astronomy, geology, geography, mineralogy, and how each of these interact with roman life. Pliny the elder livius articles on ancient history. Although pliny did not distinguish between fact, opinion, and speculation in his 37volume treatise, he can be credited with. Rackham and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Historia naturalis was one of the first manuscripts ever printed and, perhaps more importantly, the first published natural history book. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read pliny the elder.
Books 33 through 35 deal with ancient greece painting and sculpture and the artists who created those works. Plinys natural history is an extraordinarily important document in the history of western science. Ancient uses of the elder plant in natural history by pliny. 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. The zoology chapters books 8 to 11 are frequently quoted, though pliny is not always acknowledged as the. Mathematical and metrological survey of the universe. His greatest and only surviving work, the natural history, has been called one of the most influential books ever written in latin. Gaius plinius secundus ad 232479, called 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. He wrote the encyclopedic naturalis historia natural history, which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. Natural history pliny project gutenberg selfpublishing. The author of the natural history was impressed by the operations, which had been carried out in darkness. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library.
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