Man is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at the prompting of nature only, but weep.
Pliny the ElderAmong these things, one thing seems certain - that nothing certain exists and that there is nothing more pitiful or more presumptuous than man.
Pliny the ElderWine refreshes the stomach, sharpens the appetite, blunts care and sadness, and conduces to slumber.
Pliny the ElderIn comparing various authors with one another, I have discovered that some of the gravest and latest writers have transcribed, word for word, from former works, without making acknowledgment.
Pliny the ElderThe ancients had little doubt about the true shape of the earth: "It's [the world's] shape has the rounded appearance of a perfect sphere. This is shown first of all by the name of 'orb' which is bestowed upon it by the general consent of mankind. ...Our eyesight also confirms this belief, because the firmament presents the aspect of a concave hemisphere equidistant in every direction, which would be impossible in the case of any other figure."
Pliny the Elder