A major section of the natural history, books xx to xxix, discusses matters related to medicine, especially plants that yield useful drugs. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. Selections from the history of the world, commonly called the natural history of c. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The natural history book vii with book viii 4 ebook written by pliny the pliny the elder. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet.
Naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. Pliny the procurator harvard studies in classical philology. Table of contents of the others and of authorities. Here, as elsewhere, pliny demonstrated the extent of his reading. 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 natural history properly begins with book ii, which is devoted to cosmology and astronomy. Mar 12, 2019 pliny the elder was an author, philosopher, and commander in the roman empire in the 1st century ce. 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. Pliny the elder compiled one of the worlds first encyclopedias. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Throughout his life, pliny the elder wrote an encyclopedic work, the natural history, that was often referred to even up to the modern periodindeed, it became the editorial model for encyclopedias.
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. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny. 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 was a roman natural philosopher who lived during the 1st century. 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. See all books authored by pliny the elder, including naturalis historia, and ashen sky. Pliny the elder books list of books by author pliny the. The silurus of pliny is perhaps a species of cuviers genus schilbe, although true siluri are found in the nile. The natural history of pliny paperback january 28, 20 by pliny the elder author 1.
Mathematical and metrological survey of the universe. Pliny the elder students britannica kids homework help. The natural history which is actually a sort of encyclopedia of roman wisdom and prejudices has probably fallen out of favour because the first two books are surprisingly tedious. Pliny s last work, according to his nephew, was the naturalis historia literally natural history, an encyclopedia into which he collected much of the knowledge of his time. Natural history, volume x, books 3637 loeb classical library no. Publication date 1938 topics natural history publisher.
Pliny devised a summarium, or list of contents, at the beginning of the work that was later interpreted by modern printers as a table of contents. Fishes which come on land the proper time for catching fish ib 36 classification of fishes according to the shape of the body. 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. The letters of pliny the younger on the eruption of vesuvius, and more on.
Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. The complete latin text of book xxxvi of the historia naturalis of c. Spending most of his spare time studying, writing or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, he wrote an encyclopedic work, natural history naturalis historia, which became a model for many subsequent encyclopedic texts. Pliny wrote the encyclopedic naturalis historia natural history, which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. English translation of pliny the elder, natural history, book 36, 101204, by d. Cheers to the scholar, historian, officer, writer, and roman naturalist pliny the elder.
Topics included are the mathematics and metrology of the. Pliny the elder simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The eclipse of the moon affords an undoubted argument of the suns. Pliny was a compiler, a gatherer and recorder of information. Pliny the elder pliny, the elder the online books page. Pliny the elder was immortalized by his nephew, pliny the younger, who wrote about his uncle succumbing to ash and smoke during the eruption of mt. Shipping may be from our sydney, nsw warehouse or from our uk or us warehouse, depending.
Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman 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. His nephew pliny the younger gives an indication how devoted his uncle was to reading and studying, which was like working to him. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Buy natural history penguin classics reprint by pliny the elder, john healey, john healey isbn. His sources were personal experience, his own prior works such as the work on germania, and extracts from other works.
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. 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. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read pliny the elder. Publication date 184749 topics natural history publisher london printed for the club by g. Pliny the elder died in 79 ce, while attempting the rescue, by ship, of a friend and his family, in stabiae, from the eruption of mount vesuvius, which already had destroyed the cities of pompeii and herculaneum. This lesson explores pliny s life, his natural history, and the outsized impact pliny had on medieval european thought. For the original article on pliny see dsb, see vol. Mingling acute observation with often wild speculation, it offers a fascinating view of the world as it was understood in the first century ad, whether describing the danger of diving for sponges, the first waterclock, or the use of asses milk to remove wrinkles. Pliny the elder 2379 ce produced in his natural history a vast compendium of roman knowledge. In ad 77, pliny published his famous 37volume work naturalis historia or natural history. The table below is a summary based on modern names for topics. Pliny s natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. Lacuscurtius pliny the elders natural history book 36. 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.
Click on the l symbols to go to the latin text of each chapter. He is best known for his work pliny s natural history which was in latin and explored the natural world. Pliny the elder biography facts, childhood, family life. The zoology chapters books 8 to 11 are frequently quoted, though pliny is not always acknowledged as the. 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 cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to pliny. 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. Plinys natural history is an extraordinarily important document in the history of western science. A multifaceted personality, he was also an author, naturalist, and a naval and army commander of the early roman empire. Unusually, the entire remarkable work it contains over a million words has survived intact it is one of the most substantial ancient works available to modern readers. Pliny, the beer has now become one of our flagship brews.
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. Burning shields ib 35 an ominous appearance in the heavens that was seen once only ib 36 of stars which move about in various directions. 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. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of th. Modum agri in primis servandum antiqui putavere, quippe ita censebant, satius esse minus serere et melius arare, qua in sententia et vergilium fuisse video. Natural history pliny project gutenberg selfpublishing. Book i, in fact, is a summary of the remaining 36 books, listing the authors and sometimes the titles of the books many of which are now lost from which pliny derived his material. Barclay, 184749, also by philemon holland and wernerian club page images at hathitrust pliny, the elder.
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