Pliny's Natural History
An encyclopedia in 37 books, from the stars to pigments
In 77 Pliny the Elder dedicated to the future emperor Titus a compendium of knowledge about the world — astronomy, geography, animals, plants, medicines, metals and art, by his own count 20,000 facts from 2,000 books. Two years later he died after sailing towards the erupting Vesuvius.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 1st century
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Middle East
- 70 Siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple — 7 years earlier
Africa
- c. 100 The rise of Aksum — 23 years later