Who was Pliny the Elder?
Q: Who was Pliny the Elder?
A: He was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as a naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian.
Q: What did Pliny the Elder do in his spare time?
A: He spent most of his spare time studying, writing, or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field.
Q: What was Pliny the Elder's most well-known work?
A: His most well-known work was a encyclopedic work titled Natural History ("Naturalis Historia").
Q: What did Natural History become a model for?
A: It became a model for many subsequent encyclopedic texts.
Q: When did Pliny the Elder die?
A: He died on 25 August 79 AD.
Q: How did Pliny the Elder die?
A: He died attempting the rescue by ship of a friend and his family from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which had just destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Q: Who was Pliny the Elder's personal friend?
A: He was a personal friend of the emperor Vespasian.
