Pliny in Spain: General Survey

Abstract

Natural History left prints in Spain in art and language, and above all in scientific and literary texts of different ages. Divulgation of Pliny’s work is described chronologically through representative examples in the first stages till the use of NH by Isidorus of Seville, as the first important milestone in Pliny’s diffusion and, after him, his presence in manuscripts, excerpts and authors, who, from medieval ages, sometimes unite NH with Arabian and Greek works. In XV-XVI centuries, when Pliny reaches his greatest prestige, commentaries to the text, first translations and many references are found, and also an ample usage of NH in different topics, humanistic, philological and scientific—fields not very distant in that time—, but above all NH is used as reference book for description of New World nature. We also talk about next Pliny’s diffusion, the fall of his importance in scientific spheres and his validity as a book of cultural, literary and philological interest till our days.