The Natural History, volume 2: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Natural History, volume 2, credited to Pliny the Elder, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Natural History, volume 2, by Pliny the Elder. Naturalis Historia (Latin for "Natural History") is an encyclopedia published circa AD 77-79 by Pliny the Elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny. The work became a model for all later encyclopedias in terms of the breadth of subject matter examined, the need to reference original authors, and a comprehensive index list of the contents. The scheme of his great work is vast and comprehensive, being nothing short of an encyclopedia of learning and of art so far as they are connected with nature or draw their materials from nature. The work divides neatly into the organic world of plants and animals, and the realm of inorganic matter, although there are frequent digressions in each section. He is especially interested in not just describing the occurrence of plants, animals and insects, but also their exploitation (or abuse) by man, especially Romans. The description of metals and minerals is particularly detailed, and valuable for the history of science as being the most extensive compilation still available from the ancient world. (Summary from Wikipedia) This second volume includes books six to ten, covering the following subjects: Book 6- An account of countries, nations, seas, towns, havens, mountains, rivers, distances, and peoples who now exist or formerly existed Book 7 - Man, his birth, his organization and the invention of the arts Book 8 - The nature of the terrestrial animals Book 9 - The natural history of fishes Book 10 - The natural history of birds

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Natural History, volume 2
• Author credits: Pliny the Elder
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 42
• Listed recording duration: 14:02:52

Catalogue topics

• classics
• Latin literature
• Natural History

Opening tracks: first 24 of 42

1. 01 - Book 6, Chapters 1-5: The Euxine and the Maryandini; Paphlagonia; Cappadocia; the region of Themiscyra and the nations therein; the region of Colica, the nations of the Achaei and other nations in the same parts — 15:50
2. 02 - Book 6, Chapters 6-14: The Cimmerian Bosporus; Lake Maeotis and the adjoining nations; the situation of Cappadocia; the Lesser and the Greater Armenia; the rivers Cyrus and Araxes; Albania, Iberia and adjoining nations; the passes of the Caucasus; the islands of the Euxine; nations in the vicinity of the Scythian Ocean — 16:11
3. 03 - Book 6, Chapters 15-20: The Caspian and Hyrcanean sea; Adiabene; Media and the Caspian Gates; nations situated around the Hyrcanian sea; the nations of Scythia and the countries on the Eastern Ocean; The Seres — 20:03
4. 04 - Book 6, Chapters 21-23: The nations of India; the Ganges; the Indus — 24:45
5. 05 - Book 6, Chapters 24-26: Taprobane; the Ariani and adjoining nations; voyages to India — 26:32
6. 06 - Book 6, Chapters 27-31: Carmania; the Persian and the Arabian Gulfs; the Parthian Empire; Mesopotamia; the Tigris — 23:16
7. 07 - Book 6, Chapters 32-34: Arabia; the gulfs of the Red Sea; Troglodytice — 28:17
8. 08 - Book 6, Chapters 35-37: Aethiopia; Islands of the Aethiopian Sea; the Fortunate Islands — 19:38
9. 09 - Book 6, Chapters 38-39: The comparative distances of places on the face of the earth; division of the earth into parallels and shadows of equal length; summary; Roman authors quoted; foreign authors quoted — 16:20
10. 10 - Book 7, Chapters 1-4: Man; the wonderful forms of different nations; marvellous births; the generation of man; the unusual duration of pregnancy; instances of it from seven to twelve months — 32:45
11. 11 - Book 7, Chapters 5-13: Indications of the sex of the child during the pregnancy of the mother; monstrous births; of those who have been cut out of the womb; who were called Vopisci; the conception and generation of man; striking instances of resemblance; what men are suited for generation; instances of very numerous offspring; at what age generation ceases; remarkables circumstances connected with the menstrual discharge — 17:45
12. 12 - Book 7, Chapters 14-23: The theory of generation; some account of the teeth and some facts concerning infants; examples of unusual size; chldren remarkable for their precocity; some remarkable properties of the body; instances of extraordinary strength; instances of remarkable agility; instances of acuteness of sight; instances of remarkable acuteness in hearing; instances of endurance of pain — 16:02
13. 13 - Book 7, Chapter 24-31: Memory; vigour of mind; clemency and greatness of mind; heroic exploits; union in the same person of three of the highest qualities with the greatest purity; instances of extreme courage; men of remarkable genius; men who have been remarkable for wisdom — 21:00
14. 14 - Book 7, Chapters 32-44: Precepts the most useful in life; divination; the man who was pronounced to be the most excellent; the most chaste matrons; instances of the highest degree of affection; names of men who have excelled in the arts, astrology, grammar and medicine; geometry and architecture; painting, engraving on bronze, marble and ivory, carving; slaves for which a high price has been given; supreme happiness; rare instances of good fortune continuing in the same family; remarkable example of vicissitudes; remarkable examples of honours — 19:19
15. 15 - Book 7, Chapters 45-50: Ten very fortunate circumstances which have happened to the same person; the misfortunes of Augustus; men whom the gods have pronounced to be the most happy; the man whom the gods ordered to be worshipped during his life-time; a remarkable flash of lightning; the greatest length of life; the variety of destinies at the birth of man — 19:26
16. 16 - Book 7, Chapters 51-56: Various instances of diseases; death; persons who have come to life again after being laid out for burial; instances of sudden death; burial; the Manes, or departed spirits of the soul — 21:18
17. 17 - Book 7, Chapter 57: The inventors of various things — 13:46
18. 18 - Book 7, Chapters 58-60: The things about which mankind first of all agreed; the ancient letters; when barbers were first employed; when the firsttime-pieces were made; summary; Roman authors quoted; foreign authors quoted — 6:20
19. 19 - Book 8, Chapters 1-12: Elephants: their capacity; when elephants were first put into harness; the docility of the elephant; wonderful things which have been done by the elephant; the instinct of wild animals when perceiving danger; when elephants were first seen in Italy; the combats of the elephants; the way in which elephants are caught; the method by which they are tamed; the birth of the elephant and other particulars respecting it; in what countries the elephant is found; the antipathy of the elephant and the dragon; the sagacity of these animals — 25:03
20. 20 - Book 8, Chapters 13-22: Dragons; serpents of remarkable size; the animals of Scythis; the bison; the animals of the north: the elk, the achlis and the bonasus; lions: how they are produced; the different species of lions; the peculiar character of the lion; who it was that first introduced combats of lions at Rome; wonderful feats performed by lions; a man recognized and saved by a dragon — 25:28
21. 21 - Book 8, Chapters 23-35: Panthers; the decree of the Senate, and laws respecting African animals; tigers: when first seen at Rome, their nature; camels: the different kinds; the cameleopard: when it was first seen at Rome; the chama and the cepus; the rhinoceros; the lynx, the sphynx, the crocotta and the monkey; the terrestrial animals of India; the animals of Aethiopia: a wild beast which kills with its eye; the serpents called basilisks; wolves; different kinds of serpents — 20:27
22. 22 - Book 8, Chapters 36-47: The ichneumon; the crocodile; the seincus; the hippopotamus; who first exhibited the hippopotamus and the crocodile at Rome; the medicinal remedies which have been borrowed from animals; prognostics of danger derived from animals; nations that have been exterminated by animals; the hyaena; the crocotta, the mantichora; wild asses; beavers; amphibious animals; otters — 18:57
23. 23 - Book 8, Chapters 48-56: Bramble-frogs; the sea-calf; beavers; lizards; stags; the chameleon; other animals which change colors; the tarandus, the lycaon and the thos; the porcupine; bears and their cubs; the mice of Pontus and of the Alps; hedgehogs — 21:01
24. 24 - Book 8, Chapters 57-69: The leontophonus and the lynx; badgers and squirrels; vipers and snails; lizards; the qualities of the dog; examples of its attachment to its master; nations which have kept dogs for the purpose of war; the generation of the dog; remedies against canine madness; the nature of the horse; the disposition of the horse; remarkable facts concerning chariot horses; the generation of the horse; mares impregnated by the wind; the ass: its generation; the nature of mules and of other beasts of burden — 29:44

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.