Pliny the Elder Quotes


There is in them a softer fire than the ruby, there is the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea green of the emerald - all shining together in incredible union. Some by their splendor rival the colors of the painters, others the flame of burning sulphur or of fire quickened by oil.


Citations

Pliny the Elder. Natural History, Book 37. Translated by John Bostock and H.T. Riley, Bohn, 1857, p. 408.

Related Quotes

Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
  • Born: March 23, 2019
  • Died: August 25, 1979
  • Nationality: Roman
  • Profession: Lawyer, Author, Natural Philosopher, Naturalist, Military Commander, Provincial Governor

Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 – 79), called Pliny the Elder (/ˈplɪni/), was a Roman author, a naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (Natural History), which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. He spent most of his spare time studying, writing, and investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field.