Pliny the Elder's The Natural History is a vast encyclopedia, surveying natural phenomenon from astronomy to zoology. Observation, speculation and common thought are combined to present a key snapshot of ancient thought and the Romans' perspective on the world around them.Book VII of The Natural History provides a detailed examination of the human animal and is crucial to understanding the work as a whole. In Pliny's eyes, mankind 'for whose sake nature was created,' represents the basis upon which the natural world was founded and structured. In addition to this, the book provides valuable insight into the extraordinary complex of ideas and beliefs which were current in Pliny's era.This edition provides the full Latin text accompanied by commentary notes which provide linguistic help and explanations, plus vocabulary lists of Latin and Greek terms and a list of all proper names. The in-depth introduction provides valuable details about the historical, scientific and literary context, as well as an overview of the work's legacy and reception.
By:
Pliny the Elder
Translated with commentary by:
Tyler T Travillian
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 505g
ISBN: 9781472535665
ISBN 10: 1472535669
Series: Latin Texts
Publication Date: 21 May 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Introduction I. Pliny's Life and Early Career II. Introduction to Book 7 III. Sources in Book 7 Cited by Pliny IV. Some Notes on Pliny's Grammar, Style, and Syntax V. The Text VI. Reception VII. Further reading Text Appendix I: Numerals, Measures, and Abbreviations Appendix II: Images Glossary Index of Proper Names in Book 7 Index of Places and Ethnonyms in Book 7 Index of Proper Names in Book 8.1-32 Index of Places and Ethnonyms in Book 8.1-32
Reviews for The Natural History Book VII (With Book VIII 1-34)
[Travillian] supplies the Latin, a commentary with helpful, school-style grammatical as well as generous background information ... [and] extensive notes on [Pliny's] style; his later reception, and further reading ... [A]n admirably wide-ranging edition, well-suited to introducing to a wide audience both Pliny himself and the realisation that, for a Roman, the world was a place of wonders. * Classics For All Reviews * This meticulous edition brings a complete book of the Natural History within the reach of an advanced Latin class for the first time ... Book 7 of the Natural History is a weird, fun read. It is also currently the best served book of the Natural History in English, in that Mary Beagon has produced a translation and a scholarly commentary on the translated text that complements Travillian's edition of the Latin text for students. * Classics Ireland * [T]his collection promotes the value of Latin and Greek. * Revue des Etudes Anciennes (Bloomsbury Translation) * Students and scholars alike will welcome Dr. Travillian's stimulating and useful presentation of this fascinating and often overlooked text. It is especially pleasing to have an accessible text of Pliny's treatment of elephants, creatures he rightly believes capable of teaching us about ourselves and the world we (and they) inhabit. -- Loren J. Samons II, Professor of Classical Studies, Boston University, USA
