Gaius Plinius Secundus - Pliny the Elder - was born in AD 21. He served both as a cavalry officer in Germania and as procurator and combined with this public service a deep interest in science. This book is Pliny's sole surviving work and in it he records the sum total of Roman scientific knowledge in the first century AD. This translation is intended to present a coherent view of Pliny's account of the work - man, the universe, botany, zoology, medicine, minerology - and promote overall continuity.
Author Biography
Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 - 79AD), better known as Pliny the Elder, studied botany and philosophy in Rome before serving in the military. He was later Porcurator in Gallia, whilst continuing to accumulate knowledge on everything from grammar to the history of the German wars. He created the first known encyclopedia.
