INTRODUCTION 



This volume contains Books III-VII of Plinys 

 Naturalis Historia. 



The detailed contents will be found in Plinys 

 own outline of his work, which, with lists of the 

 authorities used for each Book, constitutes Book I ; 

 for Books III-VH see Volume I, pp. 28—41, of this 

 edition. 



The subject of Books III-VI is the geography, 

 physical, poHtical and historical, of the ancient 

 world. 



Book III : Southern Spain ; Southem Gaul ; Italy ; 

 the Western Mediterranean and lonian and Adriatic 

 Islands ; the countries round the north of the 

 Adriatic. 



Book IV : Greece and the rest of the Balkan 

 Peninsula ; the islands of the Eastern Mediter- 

 ranean ; the Black Sea and the countries west of it ; 

 Northern Europe. 



Book V: North Africa; the Eastern Mediter- 

 ranean and Asia Minor. 



Book VI : Countries from the Black Sea to India; 

 Persia ; Arabia ; Ethiopia ; the Nile valley. 



The subject of Book VII is the human race — its 

 biology, physiology and psychology. 



IX 



