Pliny's Naturalis Historia
Saturday 11 March 2006 22:40-23:00 (Radio 3)
Pliny the Elder was passionate about directly observing the natural world. So passionate, in fact, that he was killed when he got too close to the erupting volcano Vesuvius in AD 79. Two years earlier, however, he had completed his Naturalis Historia, which included four volumes of observations of the animal kingdom.
Sean Barrett and Mia Soteriou read the Latin text, while a soundscape of specially composed music, mixed with animal recordings gathered from Bristol's Natural History Unit, provides the translation.
Adapted and produced by Kate McAll.
Music by Adrian Lee, Simon Rogers and Sylvia Hallett.
