When and where was Pliny the Elder born?
Gaius Plinius Secundus arrived in Como during 23 or 24 AD. His father was an equestrian named Gaius Plinius Celer and his mother bore the name Marcella.
Questions about Pliny the Elder
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What military posts did Pliny the Elder hold between 46 AD and 50 AD?
Pliny entered the Roman army as a junior officer at age 23 in 46 AD and served under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo in Germania Inferior. He later transferred to Germania Superior under Publius Pomponius Secundus and fought against the Chatti during his fourth year of service in 50 AD.
Which administrative provinces did Vespasian appoint Pliny the Elder to govern starting in 70 AD?
Vespasian appointed Pliny to Gallia Narbonensis early in 70 AD followed by Africa from 70 to 72 AD. He then governed Hispania Tarraconensis between 72 and 74 AD before taking his final post in Gallia Belgica from 74 to 76 AD.
How many volumes did Pliny the Elder write and which work survives today?
Pliny wrote seven works spanning 102 volumes but only Natural History survives today. The thirty-seven volume Natural History became his final masterpiece completed around 77 AD and remains the largest single surviving work from the Roman Empire.
When and how did Pliny the Elder die during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?
On the 24th of August at one afternoon Pliny received news of an unusual cloud while commanding the fleet at Misenum. Hot toxic gases engulfed the group when they fled later that night and he died leaving no external injuries behind three days after the plume dispersed.