The Sense of Nature: Pliny the Elder
Presenters
Anna Anguissola, University of Pisa
Abstract
The paper engages with the
narrative strategies and concepts that guide Pliny the Elder’s account of the
natural world by exploring a small set of paragraphs at the turn of the
encyclopedia’s final two books. Book 36’s final paragraphs summarize three key
points developed in the treatise: the role of human ingenuity, the ability of
senses to classify the natural world, and the relationship between human morals
and natural norms. These points are exemplified by the three materials that
close the book: glass, obsidian, and fire. The same points are raised again at
the start of book 37, where Pliny sets the tone for the conclusion of his
journey, reinforcing his main ideas. Pliny arranges the “liminal” materials
placed at the turn of his last two books into an intricate network of
references based on mutual similarities and differences in appearance, origin,
and properties. While highlighting Pliny’s organizing principles, the paper
addresses the Natural History’s philosophical premises, historical
perspective, and epistemological fabric.
AIA-2A