Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read plinys natural history. Pliny the elder pliny, the elder a wikipedia article about this author is available pliny, the elder. 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. Rackham and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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. Natural history encyclopedic scientific work by pliny. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the natural history of pliny. He claimed to have recorded 20,000 pieces of information, although modern scholars say he underestimated his own output. American museum of natural history handbook series no. Plinys natural history, either directly or indirectly through quotes by later authors, greatly influenced the development of the bestiary and other medieval beast literature.
With an english translation on opposite pages, notes, introduction, and glossary, by rev. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. The natural history was one of the first ancient european texts to be printed, in venice in 1469. Concentrating on plinys accounts of foreign lands and peoples, monsters, and barbarians, trevor murphy demonstrates the political significance of this. Although pliny did not distinguish between fact, opinion, and speculation in his 37volume treatise, he can be credited with.
As a guide to the cultural meanings of everyday things in ancient rome it is unparalleled. The zoology chapters books 8 to 11 are frequently quoted, though pliny is not always acknowledged as the. Fox, ma to which is added the anglosaxon version of the metres of boethius, with a free translation by martin f. Natural history pliny currently redirects to naturalis historia, the result of a recent page move. The natural history book vii with book viii 4 pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology, medicine to magic. Plinys historia naturalis natural history is a vast encyclopaedic work and the only book by him to have survived. 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. Although pliny did not distinguish between fact, opinion, and speculation in his 37volume treatise, he can be credited with the creation of the first scientific encyclopaedia. Plinys natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. This extraordinary work was originally composed and. 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.
Direct observation, informed speculation and common knowledge are combined to present a key snapshot of ancient thought and the romans perspective on the. The nature of the animated beings which exist upon it, is hardly in any degree less worthy of our contemplation than its other features. Publication date 1938 topics natural history publisher. His natural history contained over a million words in 37 volumes pliny attempted to document all known facts about the natural world. Pliny the elders natural history trevor murphy oxford.
Naturalis historia latin for natural history is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. Naturalis historia natural history pliny natural history is the most common title for this work in english. Pliny the elder pliny, the elder the online books page. Pliny natural history vi, books xxxxiii in latin with english translation on facing pages by w. 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. Aug 08, 2012 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
Philemon hollands english translation of 1605 has influenced literature ever since. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. 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. Pliny the elder, the natural history john bostock, m.
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. His greatest and only surviving work, the natural history, has been called one of the most influential books ever written in latin. 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. Concentrating on pliny s accounts of foreign lands and peoples, monsters, and barbarians, trevor murphy demonstrates the political significance of this reference book as a. Pliny himself defines his scope as the natural world, or life. Internet archive bookreader plinys natural history. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity. 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. Buy natural history penguin classics reprint by pliny the elder, john healey isbn. Xxxvii with introductory chapters and a commentary, but the commentary is affected by the translation, which is merely a modernization of philemon hollands version. 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 3 bohns classical library the natural history of pliny, henry thomas riley.
Details plinys natural history in thirtyseven books biodiversity. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by the elder pliny free ebook project gutenberg. 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. In thirtyseven books by pliny the elder, 1847, printed for the club by g. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. Pliny the elder wrote the worlds first encyclopedia. Buy plinys natural history in thirtyseven books on. Book vii of the natural history provides a detailed examination of the human animal and is. For centuries the natural history served as the western worlds primary source of scientific information and theory book i summarizes the entire contents of the work, listing the authors and sometimes the titles of. I ran a first proofreading pass immediately after entering each book, so that the text of all the books is quite good already. The works subject area is thus not limited to what is today understood by natural history. Questia read the fulltext online edition of natural history of pliny vol. Pliny the elders most popular book is natural history.
More information about this seller contact this seller 15. In thirtyseven books internet archive bookreader pliny s natural history. The world, and this whatever other name men have chosen to designate the sky whose vaulted roof encircles the universe is fitly believed to be a deity, eternal, immeasurable, a being that never began to exist and never will perish. Drawn entirely by zelinsky and derived from pliny the elders celebrated natural history, this book tells the tale of lion and stoatthe two greatest artists who ever livedwho compete for immortality. 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. Tupper, dcl brands popular antiquities of england, scotland, and ireland. Jul 12, 2018 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Pliny the elders natural history, from firstcentury rome, is the most important surviving encyclopedia of the ancient world. The natural history of pliny, volume 1 of 6 by the elder.
His greatest and only surviving work, the natural history, has been called one of the most influential. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. In ad 77, pliny published his famous 37volume work naturalis historia or natural history. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of t. Volume i of the natural history of gaius plinius secundus. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. The natural history of pliny, volume 6 bohns classical library the natural history of pliny, henry thomas riley. Internet archive bookreader pliny s natural history. Its author is roman philosopher and scholar gaius plinius secundus, commonly known as pliny the elder ad 2379. Natural history pliny project gutenberg selfpublishing. Such then is the present state of the world, and of the countries, nations, more remarkable seas, islands, and cities which it contains. The table below is a summary based on modern names for topics.
Natural history encyclopedic scientific work by pliny the. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage library. Pliny the elder has 277 books on goodreads with 3804 ratings. Pliny s natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology.