Pliny, the Elder’s studies on birds

Authors

  • Lilian Al-Chueyr Pereira Martins Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2513-1165
  • Pedro de Lima Navarro Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-9020.intelligere.2022.194886

Keywords:

History of animals, Classical Antiquity, Scientific translation

Abstract

One of the few preserved works by Gaius Plinius Secundus (23/24 A.D.-79 A.D.), best known as Pliny, the Elder, is the Naturalis Historiae (Natural History), composed of thirty-seven books that deal with different subjects, including animals. In Book X of this work, the author discusses the nature of birds. The present work consists of a commented translation of the first three chapters of this book in which he deals with the ostrich, the phoenix, and the eagle. This small sample gives an idea of Pliny's style and methodology, which differs significantly from Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC), another author from Ancient Age, adopted in his studies concerning the subject. Initially, we introduce Pliny the Elder to the reader, giving information about his life, work, and context. Next, we provide some details about the translation, and finally, we present the translation itself.

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Author Biographies

  • Lilian Al-Chueyr Pereira Martins, Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto

    She got a degree in Natural History from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. She is a specialist in History of Science from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and Master and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in the area of Genetics, from the State University of Campinas. She developed a Sandwich Ph.D. in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge (England) and Post-Doctorate in the History and Theory of Science Group (UNICAMP). She was a professor in the History of Science Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo from March 1999 to January 2011. She is currently an Associate professor in the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Linguistics of Ribeirão Preto at the University of São Paulo (FFCLRP -USP); editor of the journal Philosophy and History of Biology; leader of the History and Theory of Biology (USP) group; collaborating researcher at the History, Theory, and Science Teaching Group (USP) and member of the Board of the Center for the History of Science (CHC-USP). She dedicates herself to the History of Life Sciences in general, particularly to the History of Genetics and Evolution. She also works with Philosophy of Biology and the applications of History and Philosophy of Biology to Science Teaching.

  • Pedro de Lima Navarro, Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto

    Estudante de Doutorado no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Laboratório de História e Teoria da Biologia (FFCLRP/USP).

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Published

2022-10-27

Issue

No. 13 (2022)

Section

Traduções

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Copyright (c) 2022 Lilian Al-Chueyr Pereira Martins, Pedro de Lima Navarro

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How to Cite

Pliny, the Elder’s studies on birds. (2022). Intelligere, 13, 196-216. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-9020.intelligere.2022.194886