Pliny The Elder’s Natural History: Book 8—Bilingual Edition

Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia may be one of the most ambitious works from antiquity, attempting to chronicle the knowledge of all the Roman world. Pliny’s goal was to compile hundreds of accounts and records from prior Roman and Greek authors into one universal encyclopedia. Book VIII specifically focuses on the land animals, from real and familiar creatures such as elephants, lions, and bears, to mythological beasts such as giant serpents, sphynxes, and basilisks, along with observations on animal behavior and perceived intelligence drawn from ancient sources. 

This volume presents the complete Latin text of Book 8 alongside the Bostock & Riley English translation on facing pages, allowing readers to move directly between the original text and the translation without losing context. Additionally, there are select mosaics helping to illustrate the animals being discussed.