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I never sought out Pliny’s “Natural History” during my classical reading period of many years ago because it was tainted by a bad rap that much of it was indiscriminate and unbelievable. Recently, I found myself in front of a copy in a large bookstore and, after reading a few pages, I decided it might be worth giving it a try. To my surprise I found it extremely appealing for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the strength of Pliny’s particular personality shining through the prose. Yes, there was much absurdity included among the legitimate science, but that quickly became part of the joy of the read: much of the odd stuff was bizarre beyond invention, such as waters turning white sheep black or flesh-eating rocks. Living, as we do, in a post-Newtonian world, and long after the telescope gave new definition to the universe, it’s hard to imagine what it was like trying to logically explain natural phenomenon. By getting it wrong as often as getting it right, Pliny’s encyclopedic compilation perhaps offers one of the best windows into the strange world of classical Roman thought, where science and magic were not far removed from each other.
My previous big musical project was writing 100 individual pieces in a collection called “Brooklyn Walking Songs.” The new challenge was to inculcate numerous melodies into a single “big” work. For whatever reason, reading Pliny prompted that project.
I can’t translate Latin. For these excerpts I used two translations, the 1855 London version by John Bostock and H.T. Riley, and the Harvard Loeb Classic Library’s 1938 edition by H. Rackham.
My previous big musical project was writing 100 individual pieces in a collection called “Brooklyn Walking Songs.” The new challenge was to inculcate numerous melodies into a single “big” work. For whatever reason, reading Pliny prompted that project.
I can’t translate Latin. For these excerpts I used two translations, the 1855 London version by John Bostock and H.T. Riley, and the Harvard Loeb Classic Library’s 1938 edition by H. Rackham.
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Patman
You have created a symphony out of the writings of Pliny. The clever use
of silence creates a sense of symphonic movement. The music makes a
potentially dry bit of literature and makes it a pleasure to listen to.I loved
this as only a true geek (as I am) may.