This is the first thorough English commentary on the geographical books of Pliny the Elder, written in the AD 70s. Pliny's account is the longest in Latin, and represents the geographical knowledge of that era, when the Roman Empire was the dominant force in the Mediterranean world. The work serves both cultural and ideological functions: much of it is topographical, but it also demonstrates the political need to express a geographical basis for the importance of the Roman state. In five books, Pliny covers the entire world as it was known in his era and includes some of the first information on the extremities of the inhabited region, including Scandinavia and the Baltic, eastern Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The commentary provides a detailed analysis of all the points Pliny raises: his sources, toponyms, and understanding of the place of the earth in the cosmos.

‘… an outstanding addition to Roller’s distinguished body of work … Highly recommended.’

S. M. Burstein Source: Choice

‘… a useful starting point that any study of the geographical sections of the Naturalis Historia cannot henceforth fail to take into account.’

Elvira Migliario Source: Geographia Antiqua

‘This is an extremely rich, clear, and balanced commentary on the geographical books of Pliny’s NH, a model of its kind. Hopefully, it will excite the interest of non-specialists in ancient geography to study this work and further explore its affinities with non-geographical works of that era, especially philosophical ones.’

George Karamanolis Source: Metascience