A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PLINIUS. PLINIUS. 421
historical kind, and preserving several interesting very numerous. The first was published at Veand valuable facts (c. 9-19). In the 19th chapter nice 1469, and was rapidly followed by many
he enumerates the chief works of the most cele- others; but the first edition of any great merit
brated statuaries, but the barren inventory is en- was that by Hardouin (Paris, 1685, in 5 vols.
livened by very few remarks which can satisfy the 4to.; 2nd edition 1723, 3 vols. fol.), which excuriosity of the artist or the lover of art. The hibits great industry and learning. The edition
introduction of this digression, and the mention of published by Panckoucke (Paris, 1829-1833, in
some mineral pigments, leads Pliny to take up the 20 vols.) with a French translation by Ajasson de
subject of painting in the 35th book. His account, Grandsagne is enriched by malny valuable notes
however, is chiefly that of the historian and anec- by Cuvier and other eminent scientific and literary
dote collector, not that of a man who understood men of France. These notes are also appended, ill
or appreciated the art. The early stages of it a Latin form, in another edition in six volumes
he discusses very summarily; but on its progress (Paris, 1836-38, Panckoucke). The most vaafter it had reached some maturity, and the va- luable critical edition of the text of Pliny is that
rious steps by which it rose in estimation among by Sillig (Leipzig, 1831-36, 5 vols. 12mo.). The
the Romans, he has many valuable and interest- last volume of this edition contains a collation of a
ing records. In his account of the pigments em- MS. at Bamberg of great value (containing, howployed by the ancient painters, he mixes up tile ever, only the last six books), which supplies
medical properties of some of them in a way words and clauses in many passages not suspected
peculiarly his own, though not very conducive to before of being corrupt, from which it may be inregularity of arrangement. His chronological no- ferred that the text of the earlier books is still in a
tices of the eras of the art and of the most distip- mutilated state, and that much of the obscurity of
guished painters are extremely valuable, and he Pliny may be traced to this cause. A considernotices, usually with tolerable clearness, the great able passage at the end of the last book has been
improvers of the art, and the advances which they supplied by Sillig from this manuscript. It appears
respectively made. The reader will find in this from his preface that Sillig is engaged upon a more
part of the work many interesting anecdotes of the extensive edition of Pliny.
great painters of Greece; but will often wish that The Natural History of Pliny has been translated
instead of a great variety of unimportant details, into almost all languages: into English by Holland
and accounts of trivial processes and mechanical (London, 1601); into German by Denso (1764excellences, Pliny had given a more full and satis- 65),and Grosse(1781-88, 12 vols.); besides transfactory account of many of the masterpieces of an- lations of parts by Fritsch and Kiilb; into Italian
tiquity, which he only barely mentions. The ex- by Landino (Ven. 1476), Bruccioli (Ven. 1548),
cellent materials which he had before him in the and Domenichi (Ven. 1561); into Spanish by
writings of several of the ancient artists, and Huerta (Madrid, 1 624-29); into French by
others which he might have consulted, might have Dupinet (1562), Poinsinet de Sivry (1771-82),
been worked up, in better hands, into a far more and Ajasson de Grandsagne; into Dutch (Arnheim,
interesting account. After a short notice of the 1617); into Arabic by Honain Ibn Ishak (Joanplastic art, a few chapters at the end of the book nitius). A great deal of useful erudition will be
are devoted to the medical and other properties of found in the Exercitationes Plinianae on the Polyvarious mineral products, the use of bricks, &c. histor of Solinus, by Salmasius. Another valuable
For the 36th book " lapidumm natura restat," as work in illustration of Pliny is the Disquisitiones
Pliny says, " doc est praecipua morumn icnsania." Plinianae, by A. Jos. a Turre Rezzonico. Parma,
Marble and the other kinds of stone and kin- 1763-67, 2 vols. fol. (Ajasson de Grandsagne,
dred materials used in buildings, or rather the Notice sur la Vie et les Outrages de Pline ne'ancien;
admirable and curious works in which they have Bihr, Geschliclmte der Rimisclhen Literatur, p. 471,
been employed (including a notice of sculpture and &c.) [C. P. M.]
sculptors), occupy the greater portion of the book, C. PLI'NIUS CAECI'LIUS SECUNDUS,
the remainder of which treats of other minerals, was the son of C. Caecilius, and of Plinia, the sister
and the medicinal and other uses to which they of C. Plinius, the author of the Naturalis I-Iistoria.
were applied. The 37th book treats, in a similar His native place was probably Comum, now Como,
manner. of gems and precious stones, and the fine on the Lake Larius, Lake of Como, on the banks of
arts as connected with the department of engraving, which he had several villae (Ep. ix. 7). The year
the whole concluding with an energetic commend- of his birth was A. D. 61 or 62, for, in a letter adation of Italy, as the land of all others the most dressed to Cornelius Tacitus (Ep. vi. 20), in which
distinguished by the natural endowments and the he describes the great eruption of Vesuvius, which
glory of its inhabitants, by the beauty of its situ- happened A. D. 79, he says that he was then in his
ation, and its fertility in everything that can eighteenth year. His father died young, and after
minister to the wants of man. his death Plinia and her son lived with her brother,
The style of Pliny,is characterised by a good who adopted his nephew, Caecilius. Under the
deal of masculine vigour and elevation of tone, republic his name after adoption would have been
though its force is frequently rather the studied C. Plinius Caecilianus Secundus.
vehemence of the rhetorician than the spontaneous The education of Plinius was conducted under
outburst of impassioned feeling. In his fondness the care of his uncle, his mother, and his tutor,
for point and antithesis, he is frequently betrayed Verginius Rufus (Ep. ii. 1). From his youth he
into harshness, and his pregnant brevity not un- was devoted to letters. In his fourteenth year he
commonly degenerates into abruptness and ob- wrote a Greek tragedy (Ep. vii. 4); but he adds,
scurity, though much of this latter characteristic "what kind of a thing it was, I know not: it was
which is found in his writings is probably due to called a tragedy." He studied eloquence under
the corrupt state of the text. Quintilianus and Nicetes Sacerdos (Ep. vi. 6).
The editions of Pliny's Natural History are His acquirements finally gained him the reputation
E 3