Pliny the elder, Natural History

Pliny the Elder was a Roman official, writer, historian, and naturalist, probably of Etruscan origin. He was born in 23 CE in Lombardy but received his education in Rome. He came from an equestrian family. He never founded his own family, and in his will he adopted his nephew – Pliny the Younger.

He began his career in the army, serving in Germania as an officer and military tribune. He participated in military campaigns and gained administrative experience. Later, he held various public offices in Germania, Spain, and Gaul, particularly during the reign of his friend, Emperor Vespasian.

In Natural History, he included approximately 20,000 pieces of information from all contemporary fields of knowledge, ranging from astronomy, geography, and zoology to anatomy, botany, and mineralogy. It is in one of the books of this work that we find a passage describing the expedition of a Roman eques in search of amber on the Baltic coast. He dedicated this great work to Titus, the son of Vespasian.

He died in 79 CE during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, when, as commander of the fleet, he set out to aid the victims of the disaster. His death resulted both from his desire to help others and from his scholarly interest in this extraordinary natural phenomenon.