Pliny's Natural History discusses various types of marble used in ancient Rome for sculpture, architecture, and medicine. It describes the marble quarries and trade routes that supplied marble throughout the Roman Empire for prominent buildings like the Porticus Octaviae in Rome. Marble was also used to craft famous sculptures such as the Venus of Cnidus and reconstructions of Phidias' Olympian Zeus and Athena Parthenos. The text also explores how architecture reflected political changes in Rome and examines the use of various stones and minerals for medical purposes in the 1st century.

1. Pliny’s Natural History
Book XXXVI: Stones

2. The Marble Trade
• Any preliminary text you’d like to have? (if not
we can just put a generic picture of some
marble here or something whilst keeping the
title if you’re okay with that?

3. Map of the
Mediterranean

4. Map Showing
Marble Quarries
of the Empire

5. Map Showing
Trade Routes
during Empire

6. Sculpture and Art
Porticus Octaviae, Rome
Founded in late 1st Century BC by Emperor Augustus

7. Venus of Cnidus (Roman Copy)

8. Phidias’ Olympian Zeus (reconstruction)

9. Phidias’ Athena Parthenos (reconstruction)

10. Representation of architecture and how it
reflects political change in Rome
• Any preliminary text?

13. SINEAD

14. Representation of medicine
• Wide array of different stones and minerals
being used for medical purposes
• Medicine or superstition?
• Naturalis Historia- self-help manual or riveting
read?

15. “Medical marvels”

16. Conclusion
• …..ermmmmmm. Gotta work on that one.