author
the Elder Pliny
23–79
A Roman writer, naturalist, and imperial officer, he is best remembered for Natural History, an enormous survey of the ancient world that helped shape how later generations organized knowledge. His life ended dramatically during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, when he died after sailing to the Bay of Naples.
7 Audiobooks
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 5 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 1 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 3 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 2 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 4 (of 6)
by the Elder Pliny
About the author
Born Gaius Plinius Secundus around 23 or 24 CE in northern Italy, Pliny built a remarkably varied career as a soldier, administrator, and author under the early Roman Empire. Ancient and modern accounts alike remember him as a tireless worker with a huge appetite for reading, note-taking, and collecting facts.
His most famous book, Natural History, gathers material on subjects ranging from astronomy, geography, animals, plants, medicine, and art to mining and precious stones. It was not a modern science book in the strict sense, but its scale and curiosity made it one of the most influential reference works to survive from antiquity.
Pliny died in 79 CE during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. According to the account later given by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, he set out by sea toward the disaster area—partly from duty and partly from curiosity—and never returned. That ending has helped make him memorable, but his lasting legacy is the ambition of his writing: to gather the whole world into one work.