Pliny the Elder

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pliny-the-elder

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Pliny the Elder born?23 or 24 CE
2. When did Pliny the Elder die?79 CE
3. Where was Pliny the Elder born?Likely Novum Comum (modern Como, Italy)
4. What is the related topics?Roman history, ancient science, Roman literature, natural history, volcanology
5. Who was Pliny the Elder?Pliny the Elder was a Roman scholar, writer, and military officer born in 23 or 24 CE in Italy. He studied in Rome and served as a cavalry officer and later a naval commander.
6. What is the Natural History?The Natural History is a 37‑volume encyclopedia written by Pliny. It covers many subjects like geography, animals, plants, medicine, and the arts.

Polymath: A person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas; known to draw on multiple fields of study.
Naturalis Historia: Pliny the Elder's monumental 37-volume encyclopedia, a comprehensive survey of ancient knowledge on the natural world and beyond.
Tacitus: A prominent Roman historian whose works, like 'Germania,' likely relied heavily on Pliny the Elder's lost writings.
Vesuvius Eruption: The catastrophic volcanic event in 79 CE that famously destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, and during which Pliny the Elder died while attempting rescues.