Pliny, Gaius Plinius Secundus, called the Elder AD23-79
Roman scholar

He was born at Novum Comum (Como), where his wealthy Italian family had estates. He was educated in Rome, and when aged about 23 entered the army, became colonel of a cavalry regiment, and a comrade of the future Emperor Titus, and wrote a treatise on the throwing of missiles from horseback and compiled a history of the Germanic wars. He also made a series of scientific tours in the region between the Rivers Ems, Elbe and Weser, and the sources of the River Danube. Returning to Rome in AD52, he studied law, but withdrew to Como and devoted himself to reading and authorship. Apparently for the guidance of his nephew, he wrote his Studiosus, a treatise defining the culture necessary for the orator, and the grammatical work, Dubius Sermo. By Nero he was appointed procurator in Spain, and through his brother-in-law's death (71) became guardian of his sister's son, Pliny, the Younger, whom he adopted. Vespasian was now emperor, and became a close friend, but he continued to study, and he brought down to his own time the history of Rome by Aufidius Bassus. A model student, amid metropolitan distraction he worked assiduously, and by lifelong application filled the 160 volumes of manuscript which, after using them for his universal encyclopedia in 37 volumes, Historia Naturalis (77), he bequeathed to his nephew. In 79 he was in command of the Roman fleet stationed off Misenum when the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius was at its height. Eager to witness the phenomenon as closely as possible, he landed at Stabiae (Castellamare), but had not gone far before the stifling vapours rolling down the hill killed him. His Historia Naturalis alone of his many writings survives. Under that title the ancients classified everything of natural or non-artificial origin. Pliny adds digressions on human inventions and institutions, devoting two books to a history of fine art, and dedicates the whole to Titus. His second-hand observations show no discrimination between the true and the false, between the marvellous and the probable, and his style is inartistic, often obscure. But he supplies information on an immense variety of subjects about which we would otherwise be ignorant.

Bibliography: H N Wethered, The Mind of the Ancient World (1937)