Rackham and others, is in the loeb classical library 10 vols. Pliny the elder 23 ad79 ad, ancient roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of naturalis historia plinys natural history. Like any great work in human history from plato to galileo, from dante to stephen hawkings plinys natural history is, first of all, a work of imagination. 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. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in. The table below is a summary based on modern names for topics. Pliny natural history with an english translation volume ii libri iiivii rackham, h published by william heinemann ltd harvard university press. Pliny chase 18201886, american scientist, mathematician. He claims to be the only roman ever to have undertaken such a.
As a detailed study of the human animal, described by its author as the raison detre of nature, book seven of the elder pliny s natural history is crucial to the understanding of the work as a whole. Pliny the elders natural history provides the reader with an excellent overview of what life was seen as during his time. Natural history, volume ii, books 37 loeb classical. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. Contents of plinys natural history divided into thirtyseven books preface. Natural history pliny project gutenberg selfpublishing. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Direct observation, informed speculation and common knowledge are combined to present a key snapshot of ancient thought and the romans perspective on the.
Internet archive bookreader plinys natural history. It is no disparagement to hollands merits, as a diligent and generally faithful translator, to say that his work is unsuited to the requirements of the. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan.
Pliny the younger died 1, ancient roman statesman, orator, writer, and pliny the elders nephew and adopted son. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. A useful english translation of perplexing materials follows the introduction and. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny, vol i. 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. The only translation of pliny s natural history which has hitherto appeared in the english language is that by philemon holland, published in the latter part of the reign of elizabeth. Like any great work in human history from plato to galileo, from dante to stephen hawkings pliny s natural history is, first of all, a work of imagination. Pliny the elder simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The loeb classical library edition of natural history is in ten volumes. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Natural histoet wliich has hitherto appeared in the english language is that by. 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. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read plinys natural history. We have already stated, that there are certain tribes of the scythians, and, indeed, many.
Its two smaller mouths are called libica1085, one being the spanish, and. Philemon hollands english translation of 1605 has influenced literature ever since. Nov 17, 2019 philemon hollands english translation of 1601 has influenced literature ever since. Plinys natural history was the goto encyclopedia for over 1,500 years, from its publication around the year 77 until well into the renaissance.
Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history. A major section of the natural history, books xx to xxix, discusses matters. 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. 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. Plinys natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. On the ninth7 day before the calends of september, at about the seventh hour. Even the errors of these authors are a portion of the history of nature, and plinys. Pliny s is an organic work, as shakespeares crowded plays or montaignes essays are organic. Beagon also examines his intellectual background, the nature of his unique book, and its themes. Philemon hollands english translation of 1601 has influenced literature ever. His nephew pliny the younger gives an indication how devoted his uncle was to reading and studying, which was like working to him. The first detailed commentary on book 7 annotates the usual historical. 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. Table of contents of the others and of authorities.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Naturalis historia is an encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of pliny. Nielsen book data summary as a detailed study of the human animal, described by its author as the raison detre of nature, book seven of the elder plinys natural history is crucial to the understanding of the work as a whole. There are two english translations of pliny online. On the ninth7 day before the calends of september, at about the seventh hour, 1 p. I am extremely desirous therefore to know your sentiments concerning spectres, whether you believe they actually exist and have their own proper shapes and a measure of divinity, or are only the false impressions of a terrified imagination. 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. The guinness is a compilation of isolated and insipid facts.
Book vii of the natural history provides a detailed examination of the human animal and is. The present recess from business affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. Natural history, volume ii, books 37 loeb classical library no. Philemon hollands english translation of 1601 has influenced literature ever since. Pliny s natural history the naturalis historia is one of the largest works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day. Plinys natural history, with latin text and english translations by h. 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. 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. It is also currently the best served book of the natural history in english, in that. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. The natural history has been translated into english by h. Pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. He published the first 10 books in ad 77, but had not made a final revision of the remainder.
In sum there are in this book of histories and observations four. The project gutenberg ebook of the natural history of. Healy has produced an excellent selection of plinys works in a very readable translation with helpful, but not cumbersome, notes. This is in the form of a covering letter from pliny, to accompany the gift of his treatise on natural history to his friend vespasian caesar i. It claims to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to pliny. Sing it songbird podcast natural living for a happy and healthy family coffee with friends liberando mentes. 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. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. This passage cannot be translated into english, from our lan.
Plinys natural hist in 30 7 bk the elder pliny, philemon 15521637. The natural history was one of the first ancient european texts to be printed, in venice in 1469. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Book 7, the human race its biology, physiology and psychology. Pliny the younger was born in novum comum como, northern italy around 61 ad, the son of lucius caecilius cilo, born there, and his wife plinia marcella, a sister of pliny the elder. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural. Pliny s natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in 61 or 62 a. The only translation of plinys natural history which has hitherto appeared in the english language is that by philemon holland, published in the latter part of the reign of elizabeth. Internet archive bookreader pliny s natural history. 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.
Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Shipping may be from our sydney, nsw warehouse or from our uk or us warehouse, depending on stock availability. The only translation of plinys natural history which has hitherto appeared in the english language is that by philemon holland, published in the latter part of the reign. A useful english translation of perplexing materials follows the. Natural history book 7 clarendon ancient history oxford university press, usa mary beagon translated with introduction and historical commentary by. Pliny the elder 23 ad79 ad, ancient roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of naturalis historia plinys natural history pliny the younger died 1, ancient roman statesman, orator, writer, and pliny the elders nephew and adopted son. Fox, ma to which is added the anglosaxon version of the metres of boethius, with a free translation by martin f. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history attalus. Pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology, medicine to magic. The only translation of plinys natural history which has hitherto appeared in the. The homepage for plinys natural history the historia naturalis of c.
The first and thirtythird books of pliny were translated by dr. Feb 12, 2019 contents of pliny s natural history divided into thirtyseven books preface. The 1st book is the preface of the work, dedicated to titus vespasian c. Tupper, dcl brands popular antiquities of england, scotland, and ireland. On india xxvi 96 but before we go on to a detailed account of these countries, it is suitable to indicate the facts reported by onesicritus after sailing with the fleet of alexander round from india to the interior of farsistan, and quite recently related in detail by juba, and. Pomponius secundus, in two books, a person by whom he had been. The 2nd is on the world, the elements, and the heavenly bodies 50. He was the grandson of senator and landowner gaius caecilius, revered his uncle, pliny the elder who at this time was extremely famous around the roman empire, and provided sketches of how his. Natural history pliny wikimili, the free encyclopedia. A consideration of plinys natural history 1937, and is discussed in h. The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th books are on geography, in which is contained an account of the situation of the different countries, the inhabitants, the seas, towns, harbours, mountains, rivers, and. As a detailed study of the human animal, described by its author as the raison detre of nature, book seven of the elder plinys natural history is crucial to the understanding of the work as a whole. 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. 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.
In addition, however, it provides valuable insight into the extraordinary complex of ideas and beliefs current in plinys era, many of which have resonances for other eras. Plinys natural history in the loeb library pliny, natural history, with an english translation by h. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. Pliny the elder, natural history loeb classical library. He was the grandson of senator and landowner gaius caecilius, revered his uncle, pliny the elder who at this time was extremely famous around the roman empire. Plinys is an organic work, as shakespeares crowded plays or montaignes essays are organic. Pliny chase 18201886, american scientist, mathematician, and educator. It is no disparagement to hollands merits, as a diligent and generally faithful translator, to say that his work is unsuited to the requirements of the nineteenth century. With an english translation on opposite pages, notes, introduction, and glossary, by rev. Mathematical and metrological survey of the universe. Links to translation of pliny the elder, natural history pliny the elder, who died during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 a. Among the whole range of animated beings, the human fe 2151 male is the only one that has the monthly discharge, note and in whose womb are found what we term moles. In thirtyseven books internet archive bookreader pliny s natural history. 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.
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