His natural history contained over a million words in 37 volumes. Pliny the elder wrote the worlds first encyclopedia. Pliny the elder project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Delphi complete works of pliny the elder illustrated delphi ancient classics book 53 kindle edition by pliny the elder. Til pliny the elder, a roman philosopher, once wrote that. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history, by h. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Pliny, the elder, remedies derived from living creatures. He is best known for his work plinys natural history which was in. He claimed to have recorded 20,000 pieces of information, although modern scholars say he underestimated his own output. Gaius plinius secundus ad 23 august 25, ad 79, better kent as pliny the elder, wis a roman author, naituralist, an naitural filosopher, as well as naval an army commander o the early roman empire. He spent most of his time studying, writing or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field.
The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such. Delphis ancient classics series provides ereaders with the wisdom of the classical world, with both english translations and the original latin texts. Pliny the elder biography facts, childhood, family life. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history. The homepage for plinys natural history the historia naturalis of c. 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.
He is best known for his work pliny s natural history which was in latin and explored the natural world. The roman naturalist pliny the elders encyclopaedic natural history, composed in 37 books, remains an unrivalled compendium of roman knowledge. Pliny the elder natural history, book xviii, chapter 6. Read more about the sites features pliny the elder 2379 ce, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled. Pliny the elder died in ad 79 in stabiae while attempting the rescue of a friend and his family by ship from the eruption of mount vesuvius, which had already destroyed the cities of pompeii and herculaneum. In reference to the remedies derived from man, there arises first of all one question, of the greatest importance and always attended with the same uncertainty, whether words, charms, and incantations, are of any efficacy or not.
Pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. He pursued a career partly military in germany, partly administrative in gaul and spain under the emperor vespasian, and became prefect of. Pliny the younger neffae, later adoptit son parents. Pliny the elder born gaius plinius secundus, ad 2379 was a roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early roman empire, and friend of emperor vespasian 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. 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. Pliny the elder russian river brewing company beeradvocate. 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.
Book 28, medicinal uses of the human bodys own products. 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, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of. 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. 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. Pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology, medicine to magic.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading delphi complete works of pliny the elder illustrated delphi ancient classics book 53. A multifaceted personality, he was also an author, naturalist, and a naval and army commander of the early roman empire. We should have now concluded our description of the. Share pliny the elder quotations about wine, food and earth. Pliny the elder was a roman natural philosopher who lived during the 1st century. Their ultimate source is a fragmentary inscription cil v 1 3442 found in a field in. He pursued a career partly military in germany, partly administrative in gaul and spain under the emperor vespasian, and became prefect of the fleet at misenum. Gaius plinius secundus ad 23 august 25, ad 79, better kent as pliny the elder, wis a roman author, naituralist, an naitural filosopher, as well as naval an army commander o the early roman empire, an personal friend o the emperor vespasian.
Medicinal uses of the human bodys own products and. Til pliny the elder, a roman philosopher, once wrote that if a person whispers in a donkeys ear that he has been stung by a scorpion, the affliction is immediately transferred to the donkey. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage library. 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. 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.
The natural history has been translated into english by h. 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. Pliny the elder wrote about dragons forbidden history. His natural history contained over a million words in 37 volumes pliny attempted to document all known facts about the natural world. Pliny the elder 2379 ce produced in his natural history a vast compendium of roman knowledge. I ran a first proofreading pass immediately after entering each book.
Pliny himself died while investigating the volcanic eruption that destroyed pompeii in ad 79, and the natural curiosity that brought about his death is also very much evident in the natural history a book that proved highly influential right up until the renaissance and that his nephew, pliny the younger, described as full of variety as. Table of contents of the others and of authorities. Columnarum ratio erat attolli super ceteros mortales, quod et arcus significant novicio invento. 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 2379 ce, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Pliny the elder books list of books by author pliny the. Publication date 1938 topics natural history publisher. The digital loeb classical library extends the founding mission of james loeb with an interconnected, fully searchable, perpetually growing virtual library of all that is important in greek and latin literature. Pliny the elder is a american imperial ipa style beer brewed by russian river brewing company in santa rosa, ca. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny. His nephew pliny the younger gives an indication how devoted his uncle was to reading and studying, which was like working to him. The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such subjects as botany, zoology, and astronomy.
Pliny the elder 23 79, translated by henry thomas riley 1816 1878 naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. Mathematical and metrological survey of the universe. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk, depending on stock availability. Pliny studied at rome before serving in the roman military in germany, eventually commanding a. Pliny the elder books list of books by author pliny the elder.
Pompeii hero pliny the elder may have been found 2,000 years later. Pliny the elder gaius plinius secondus, called pliny the elder to distinguish him from his nephew, known as pliny the younger, was born in 23 ce in como northern italy. Topics included are the mathematics and metrology of the. Pliny attempted to document all known facts about the natural world. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Neither the younger nor the elder pliny mention the names. Lust is an enemy to the purse, a foe to the person, a canker to the mind, a corrosive to the conscience, a weakness of the wit, a besotter of the senses, and finally, a mortal bane to all the body. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister.
This book is not intended to be a biography of pliny. His greatest and only surviving work, the natural history, has been called one of the most influential books ever written in latin. Book 17 the natural history of the cultivated trees. This intermittent spring is also mentioned by pliny the elder, hn ii. 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.
For information on his intriguing but illdocumented career and contacts the reader is referred to the series of articles by the late sir ronald syme, in which a plausible life is painstakingly reconstructed. Gaius plinius secundus, better known as pliny the elder, was an author, naturalist, and natural philosopher as well as a naval and army commander of the early roman empire. Pliny the elder quotes top 116 from roman naturalist. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage.
Gaius plinius secundus ad 23 august 25, ad 79, 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. Plinys dates are pinned to the eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 and a statement of his nephew that he died in his 56th year, which would put his birth in ad 23 or 24 pliny was the son of an equestrian, gaius plinius celer, and his wife, marcella. Pliny the elder sailed into danger when vesuvius erupted, and never returned, but a body found a century ago covered in jewelry like a cabaret ballerina may really have been his. Pliny, the elder, gaius plinius secundus ad 2379, a roman of equestrian rank of transpadane gaul n. In reference to the remedies derived from man, there arises first of all one question, of the greatest importance and always attended with the. Til pliny the elder, a roman philosopher, once wrote that if. Pliny the elder born gaius plinius secundus, ad 2379 was a roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early roman empire, and friend of emperor vespasian. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Rufus 23 pomponius bassus 24 fabius valens 25 messius maximus 26 maecilius nepos 27 pompeius falco 28 vibius severus 29 romatius firmus 30 licinius sura l to. Pliny the younger refers to tacituss reliance upon his uncles book, the history of the german wars. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to.
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