Pliniography: A Digital Bibliography of Pliny the Elder

1. The Naturalis Historia and Digital Humanities: A Fundamental Partnership

The Naturalis Historia has been one of the most widely used books in the history of European culture. It has been widely – and with continuity through the centuries – read, commented, quoted, and excerpted in many fields of human knowledge, including botany, medicine, zoology, agriculture, art and mineralogy. In fact, its 37 books contain a collection of information, organized by theme, on all the aspects of nature and the use of natural resources in human life. It also deals with the problem of the exploitation of nature, the relationship between man and nature and the destruction of landscapes. Its author, Pliny the Elder (23/24-79 AD), had a distinguished political and military career and is famous for his death after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, when, being the head of the Roman fleet at Misenum, he decided to set sail, in order to aid people and observe the natural phenomenon closely.

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