"The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 4 (of 6)" by the Elder Pliny is an encyclopedic work first published in AD 77. This monumental compilation survives as the largest single work from the Roman Empire, covering an extraordinary range of subjects from astronomy and geography to botany, mineralogy, and art. Pliny gleaned information from ancient authors to recreate the natural world in literary form, presenting nature as a divine force serving humanity. The work reflects Rome's imperial expansion and includes accounts of exotic creatures and mysterious peoples from the edges of the known world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)