Pliny the Elder
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Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) was a Roman author, military officer, and natural philosopher best known for Natural History, the most extensive surviving encyclopedia from antiquity.
Born in Como (today Italy), he combined public service with an intense dedication to study, spending most of his life reading, researching, and writing.
His 37‑book encyclopedia compiled knowledge on astronomy, geography, zoology, botany, medicine, and the arts.
Pliny died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.