The Elder Pliny on the Human Animal Natural History Book 7 [Paperback]

As a detailed study of the human animal, described by its author as theraison d'etreof nature, Book Seven of the elder Pliny'sNatural Historyis crucial to the understanding of the work as a whole. In addition, however, it provides valuable insight into the extraordinary complex of ideas and beliefs current in Pliny's era, many of which have resonances for other eras and cultures. The present study includes a substantial introduction examining the background to Pliny's life, thought, and writing, together with a modern English translation, and a detailed commentary which emphasizes the importance of Book Seven as possibly the most fascinating cultural record surviving from early imperial Rome.

1. Introduction
A. The author: Pliny's career and its problems
B. The Flavian background
C. The intellectual background
D. The nature of the Natural History
E. HN 7: themes and approaches
2. Translation
3. Commentary

Mary Beagonis Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Manchester.