Pliny the elder simple english wikipedia, the free. Pliny the elder wrote the worlds first encyclopedia. His natural history contained over a million words in 37 volumes pliny attempted to document all known facts about the natural world. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. Pliny the elder, naturalis historia karl friedrich theodor mayhoff, ed. The latin library the classics page the classics page. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by the elder pliny. Publication date 1938 topics natural history publisher london. When this is done, the leaves are pressed close together, and then dried in the sun.
Plinys natural history was the goto encyclopedia for over 1,500 years, from its publication around the year 77 until well into the renaissance. 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. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app.
He claimed to have recorded 20,000 pieces of information, although modern scholars say he underestimated his own output. Naturalis historia naturgeschichte plinius secundus. Pliny the elder, naturalis historia, liber xxiii, chapter 1. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Historia naturalis natural history by pliny the elder. 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. Natural history wikisource, the free online library.
Pliny the elder is a unique phenomenon in the history of the literary transmission of antique texts. Its frequent digressions into issues of morality and gossipy, occasionally rambling style would certainly not be at home in a modern encyclopedia, but its allencompassing scope covering botany, zoology, astronomy, geology, and medicine. The natural history by pliny the elder free at loyal books. Tupper, dcl brands popular antiquities of england, scotland, and ireland. He was also a naval and army commander of the early roman empire and personal friend of the emperor vespasian. Pliny the elder naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. The historia naturalis is the first encyclopedia, a compilation covering every aspect of the world as known to an intelligent roman of the first century. The homepage for plinys natural history the historia naturalis of c. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 bohns classical library the natural history of pliny, henry thomas riley.
Pliny the elder, historia naturalis whalley, joyce irene on. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Cajus plinius secundus naturgeschichte, volume 18 pliny the younger full view 1854. Page 189 this table being first inclined, the leaves of papyrus are laid upon it lengthwise, as long, indeed, as the papyrus will admit of, the jagged edges being cut off at either end.
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. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning. 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. 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. It included chapters on astronomy, geography, medicine, minerals, human beings, animals, and related historical events.
Libros naturalis historiae, novicium camenis quiritium tuorum opus, natos apud me proxima fetura licentiore epistula narrare 1 constitui tibi, iucundissime imperatorsit enim haec tui praefatio, verissima, dum maximi consenescit in patre. Ad 23 august 25, ad 79, commonly known by his anglicized name, pliny the elder, was a roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher. Naturalis historia is an early encyclopedia published circa a. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the natural history of pliny.
Pliny himself defines his scope as the natural world, or life. The reading copy of historia naturalis has one illuminated page and thirtyseven illuminated initial letters. Naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. The 1472 edition of plinys historia naturalis is the second oldest printed book in the university of readings rare book collections, and one of twelve examples of incunabula or early printed books held by the university. Although pliny did not distinguish between fact, opinion, and speculation in.
Pliny the elder, naturalis historia, book preface, chapter 1. Au wittstein, georg christian, au tippmann collection north carolina state university. With an english translation on opposite pages, notes, introduction, and glossary, by rev. Translate naturalis historia in english online and download now our free translator to use any time at no charge. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. Billing, printer and stereotyper, woking, surreyverso of t. Gaius plinius secundus 23 ad 25 august 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 spending most of his spare time studying, writing or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, he wrote an. Naturalis historia printed by taylor and francisverso of t. Natural history encyclopedic scientific work by pliny.
It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover all. Publication date 184749 topics natural history publisher london printed for the club by g. Nor is it concerned to cover in depth the various important specialist aspects of the historia naturalis. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by the elder pliny free. The works subject area is thus not limited to what is today understood by natural history. Plinys natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology.
1609 800 1012 413 749 588 1549 1528 438 616 89 1621 124 920 8 1136 1603 151 1064 184 1290 1575 1245 393 1165 406 1634 147 359 344 328 1156 706 283 1691 1467 870 563 689 1263 1268 94 419 723