Pliny, the Elder

Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, c. 23/24-79 CE) was a Roman official, soldier, and prolific writer best known for his Natural History, a vast encyclopedia gathering ancient knowledge of the cosmos, geography, animals, plants, medicine, minerals, and the arts. He died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius while attempting to observe the disaster and rescue people by sea. His nephew and adopted son was the writer Pliny the Younger, with whom he should not be confused.