Reviews

Healy has been faced with the problem of studying in its entirety a text of unusual length and complexity, by one of the most controversial authors of Roman literature: I therefore regard his effort as both seminal and monumental. Hermathena Healy successfully combines his expertise in the humanistic disciplines with a confident competence in the experimental sciences, both equally for the advantage of the reader, who will find the book a very useful, deep and detailed reference text to understand Pliny's account of science and technology better than ever before. Also, Healy must be credited both for the simplicity and clarity - neither at the expense of accuracy or completeness - in the treatment of the subject matter. Hermathena One can only praise Healy's courage in embarking on this study, and in trying to give Pliny due credit for his contributions to the natural sciences. Hermathena ... fills a long-standing gap ... Healy's book marks the first attempt to systematically scrutinize Pliny's description of materials, processes and phenomena which fall under the realm not only of chemistry, but also of physics and of the earth sciences. Hermathena This book is a significant contribution as a textbook and (essential) reference point for anyone interested in the history of science or Pliny's massive and often neglected work: for making Pliny accessible to scientists, and some of the science accessible to some classicists, Healy deserves much credit. JACT Review