Pliny: Natural History, Vol. IV (1945) - Page 7

LIBER XII

I. Animalium omnium quae nosci potuere naturae generatim membratimque ita se habent. restat ut^1—neque ipsa anima carentia, quandoquidem nihil sine ea vivit—terra edita aut ^2 inde eruta dicantur ac nullum sileatur rerum naturae opus.

Diu fuere occulta eius beneficia, summumque munus homini datum arbores silvaeque intellegebantur. hinc primum alimenta, harum fronde mollior specus, libro vestis; etiamnunc gentes sic
2

degunt. quo magis ac magis admirari subit his a principiis caedi montes in marmora, vestes ad Seras ^3 peti, unionem in Rubri maris profunda,^4 zmaragdum in imam tellurem ^5 quaeri. ad hoc excogitata sunt aurium vulnera, nimirum quoniam parum erat manibus, collo, crinibus gestari nisi infoderentur etiam corpori. quamobrem sequi par est ordinem vitae et

BOOK XII

I. Such are the generic and specific characteristics of all the animals about which it has been possible to obtain information. It remains to describe the things produced by the earth or dug up from it—these also not being devoid of vital spirit, since nothing lives without it—and not to pass over in silence any of the works of nature.

Trees: introductory remarks.

The riches of earth’s bounty were for a long time hidden, and the trees and forests were supposed to be the supreme gift bestowed by her on man. These first provided him with food, their foliage carpeted his cave, and their bark served him for raiment; there are still races which practise this mode of life. This inspires us with ever greater and greater wonder that, starting from these beginnings, man has come to quarry the mountains for marbles, to go as far as the Serae the Chinese people for raiment, to explore the depths of the Red Sea for the pearl, and the bowels of the earth for the emerald. For this purpose has been devised the fashion of making wounds in the ears, because forsooth it was not enough for jewels to be worn on the hands and neck and hair without making them even pierce through the body. Consequently it will be well to follow the biological order and to speak of trees before earth’s other products, and to bring forward origins for our customs.