Skip to main content
Unodio LogoUnodio Logo
Audiobooks
⌘K
U
Unodio

Experience the future of studio-quality audio. From immersive originals to a curated library of audiobooks and podcasts.

Studio Quality Audio

Specialized Hubs

  • Kids & Family
  • Toddler Bedtime Stories
  • Classic Literature
  • Adult Audiobooks
  • Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  • Romance Novels
  • Self-Help & Mindset
  • Free Mystery & Crime

Explore Library

  • All Audiobooks
  • Bedtime Stories
  • Podcasts
  • New Releases
  • Top Charts
  • Author Directory
  • Explore All Categories

Categories

  • Kids & Family
  • Classic Fiction
  • Science Fiction
  • Mystery & Thriller
  • Romance & Drama
  • History & Biography
  • Philosophy & Mind

Company & Support

  • Our Story
  • Journal & Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Support Center
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Refund Policy

© 2026 UNODIO INC.

PRIVACYTERMSREFUNDCONTACT
System Operational
The Natural History Volume 4 by Pliny the Elder — audiobook cover art

The Natural History Volume 4

Pliny the Elder
GENREnature
LANGUAGEEnglish
LISTENED22
RATING4.8
RELEASED2026

Details

✍️

Author

Pliny the Elder

🌐

Language

English

📚

Genre

nature

About this Audiobook

by Pliny the Elder

📖 Synopsis & Plot Overview

The Natural History Volume 4 by Pliny the Elder is an engaging audiobook that delves into the natural world, exploring various aspects of ancient knowledge. This comprehensive work, written around 77-79 AD, is a seminal encyclopedia that covers a vast range of subjects, including the organic world of plants and animals, and the realm of inorganic matter.

🔍 Key Themes & Narrative Depth

The audiobook is divided into five books, each focusing on a specific area of natural history. Book 16 examines the natural history of forest trees, while Book 17 explores the natural history of cultivated trees. The subsequent books discuss the natural history of grain, flax, and garden plants, providing valuable insights into the exploitation and cultivation of these resources. The work is notable for its detailed descriptions of metals and minerals, making it a significant contribution to the history of science.

One of the unique aspects of this audiobook is its ability to transport listeners to a bygone era, offering a glimpse into the knowledge and understanding of the natural world during ancient times. The work's thematic keywords, such as natural history, ancient knowledge, and encyclopedia, make it an appealing listen for those interested in science, nature, and history. The various narrators bring the text to life, making the listening experience engaging and immersive.

🎙️ Listening Experience

The listening experience is further enhanced by the talented narrators, who bring depth and nuance to the text. With its comprehensive coverage of natural history, this audiobook is a must-listen for anyone interested in science, nature, and the ancient world. Join Unodio and discover the wonders of the natural world with The Natural History Volume 4, a captivating audiobook that will leave you eager for more.

Chapters

01
Book 16, Chapters 1 7: <i>Countries that have no trees; wonders connected with trees from the northern regions; the acorn oak; the civic crown; the origin of the presentation of crowns; persons presented with a crown of leaves; 13 varieties of the acorn; the beech</i>
Pliny the Elder
14:41nature
02
Book 16, Chapters 8 15: <i>The other acorns; wood for fuel; the gall nut; other productions on these trees; cachrys; the kermes berry; agaric; trees of which the bark is used; shingles</i>
Pliny the Elder
17:51nature
03
Book 16, Chapters 16 23: <i>The pine; the pinaster; the peach tree; the fir; the larch; the torch tree; the yew; methods of making tar; methods by which thick pitch is prepared; how the resin called zopissa is prepared</i>
Pliny the Elder
17:10nature
04
Book 16, Chapters 24 38: <i>Trees the wood of which is highly valued; four varieties of the ash; two varieties of the linden tree; ten varieties of the maple; bruscum; molluscum; three varieties of the box tree; the natures of the various trees according to their localities; trees which grow on dry soil; division of trees into various species; trees which do not lose their foliage; the nature of the leaves which wither and fall; trees which have leaves of various colours; leaves which turn round every year; the care bestowed on the leaves of the palm; remarkable facts connected with leaves</i>
Pliny the Elder
24:47nature
05
Book 16, Chapters 39 50: <i>The natural order of the production of plants\; trees which never blosom\; the juniper\; the fecundation of trees\; germination\; the appearance of fruit\; in what order trees blosom\; at what period each tree bears fruit\; the cornel\; trees which bear no fruit\; trees looked upon as ill omened\; trees whcih lose their fruit and flowers most readily\; trees which are unproductive in certain places\; the mode in which trees bear\; trees that bear two crops in a year</i>
Pliny the Elder
18:48nature
06
Book 16, Chapters 51 61: <i>Which trees become old with the greatest rapidity\; trees which bear various products\; differences in trees in respect of the trunks and branches\; the branches of trees\; the bark of trees\; the roots of trees\; trees which have grown spontaneously from the ground\; how trees grow spontaneously\; plants that will not grow in certain places\; the cypress\; that the earth often bears productions which it has never borne before</i>
Pliny the Elder
19:37nature
07
Book 16, Chapters 62 69: <i>The ivy\; twenty varieties of it\; the smilax\; water plants\; the rush\; 28 varieties of the reed\; reeds used for arrows\; flute reeds\; the vine dressers reed\; the willow\; eight varieties of it\; trees in addition to the willow</i>
Pliny the Elder
23:05nature
08
Book 16, Chapters 70 79: <i>Rushes\; the elder\; the bramble\; the juices of trees\; the veins and fibres of trees\; the felling of trees\; the opinion of Cato and the felling of timber\; the size of trees\; methods of obtaining fire from wood\; trees which are proof against decay\; historical facts connected with the durability of wood</i>
Pliny the Elder
30:33nature
09
Book 16, Chapters 80 95 : <i>Varieties of the teredo\; the woods used in building\; carpenter's woods\; woods united with glue\; veneering\; the age of trees\; trees as old as the city\; trees older than the city\; trees planted by Agamemnon the first year of the Trojan war\; trees planted at Argos by Hercules\; trees which are the most short lived\; trees that have been rendered famous\; three varieties of the mistletoe\; historical facts connected with the mistletoe\; summary\; Roman authors quoted\; foreign authors quoted</i>
Pliny the Elder
24:19nature
10
Book 17, Chapters 1 4 :<i> Trees that have been sold at enormous prices\; the influence of weather upon trees\; what soild are to be considered the best\; the eight kinds of earth boasted of by the Gauls and Greeks</i>
Pliny the Elder
38:01nature
11
Book 17, Chapters 5 13 :<i>The employment of ashes\; manure\; crops that tend to improve the land\; the proper mode of using manure\; the modes in which trees bear\; plants which are propagated by seed\; trees which never degenerate\; propagation by suckers\; propagation by slips and cuttings</i>
Pliny the Elder
16:14nature
12
Book 17, Chapters 14 19 :<i> Seed plots\; the mode of propagating the elm\; the holes for transplanting\; the intervals to be left between trees\; the nature of the shadow thrown by trees\; the dropping of water from the leaves</i>
Pliny the Elder
20:02nature
13
Book 17, Chapters 20 28: <i>Trees which grow but slowly\; trees propagated from layers\; grafting\; inoculation or budding\; the various kinds of grafting\; grafting the vine\; grafting by scutcheons\; plants which grow from a branch\; trees which grow from cuttings</i>
Pliny the Elder
23:07nature
14
Book 17, Chapters 29 34:<i> The cultivation of the olive\; cleaning and baring the roots\; willow beds\; reed beds\; other plants that are cut for poles</i>
Pliny the Elder
19:44nature
15
Book 17, Chapter 35: <i>The culture of the vine</i>
Pliny the Elder
48:13nature
16
Book 17, Chapters 36 39 :<i> How grapes are protected\; the diseases of trees\; treatment of the diseases of trees</i>
Pliny the Elder
26:37nature
17
Book 17, Chapters 40 47: <i>Methods of irrigation\; remarkable facts connected with irrigation\; incisions made in trees\; caprification\; errors that may be commited in pruning\; the proper mode of manuring trees\; medicaments for trees\; summary\; Roman authors quoted\; foreign authors quoted</i>
Pliny the Elder
15:10nature
18
Book 18, Chapters 1 7:<i> Taste of the ancients for agriculture\; the first wreaths of corn at Rome\; the jugerum of land\; the price of corn\; writers upon agriculture\; on buying land\; arrangements for a farmhouse</i>
Pliny the Elder
33:15nature
19
Book 18, Chapters 8 17 :<i>Maxims of the ancients on agriculture\; the different kinds of grains\; the history of grain\; spelt\; wheat\; barley\; rice\; polenta\; tragum\; amylum </i>
Pliny the Elder
29:39nature
20
Book 18, Chapters 18 29: <i>Barley\; arinca and other kinds of grain\; winter wheat\; wheat in Africa\; sesame\; the mode of grinding corn\; millet\; leaven\; the method of making bread\; when bakers were first introduced in Rome\; alica</i>
Pliny the Elder
25:54nature
21
Book 18, Chapters 30 45: <i>Leguminous plants\; the bean\; the chick peas\; the kidney beans\; the rape\; the turnip\; the lupine\; the fitch\; silicia\; farrago\; lucerne\; the diseases of grain\; the remedies for the diseases of grain</i>
Pliny the Elder
26:22nature
22
Book 18, Chapters 46 53: <i>Crops sown in different soils\; cultivations by various nations\; various kinds of ploughs\; the mode of ploughing\; extreme fertility of soil\; the manuring of land</i>
Pliny the Elder
19:06nature
23
Book 18, Chapters 54 66: <i>How to acertain the quality of seed\; how much grain requisite for a jugerum\; the proper times for sowing\; arrengement of the stars\; the rising and setting of the stars\; the epochs of the seasons\; the proper time for winter sowing\; work for each month\; work for winter</i>
Pliny the Elder
34:18nature
24
Book 18, Chapters 67 71: <i>Work for spring\; hay making\; the summer solstice\; causes of sterility\; remedies against noxious influences</i>
Pliny the Elder
32:10nature
25
Book 18, Chapters 72 77: <i>The harvest\; the methods of storing corn\; the vintage\; the revolutions of the moon\; the theory of winds\; the laying out of lands</i>
Pliny the Elder
31:49nature
26
Book 18, Chapters 78 90: <i>Prognostic derived from the sun\; prognostics derived from the moon\; prognostics derived from the stars\; prognostics derived from thunder\; prognostics derived from clouds\; prognostics derived from animals\; prognostics derived from quadrupeds\; prognostics derived from plants\; prognostics derived from food\; summary\; Roman authors quoted\; foreign authors quoted</i>
Pliny the Elder
20:41nature
27
Book 19, Chapters 1 9: <i>The nature of flax\; how flax is sown\; principal varieties of flax\; the mode of preparing flax\; linen made of asbestos\; the nature of spartum\; the mode of preparing spartum</i>
Pliny the Elder
24:42nature
28
Book 19, Chapters 10 21:<i> The bulb eriophorus\; misy\; geranion\; maspetum\; magydaris\; the pleasures of the garden\; plants other than grain</i>
Pliny the Elder
24:14nature
29
Book 19, Chapters 22 31:<i> Twenty different plants that grow in garden\; cucumbers\; gourds\; turnips\; radishes\; parsnips\; skirret\; elecampagne\; bulbs\; the roots, flowers andf leaves of all these plants</i>
Pliny the Elder
28:32nature
30
Book 19, Chapters 32 40: <i>Varieties of the onion\; the leek\; garlic\; growth of plants\; the nature of the various seeds\; different kinds of plants\; the nature of garden plants\; endive\; beet</i>
Pliny the Elder
29:53nature
31
Book 19, Chapters 41 52: <i>Cabbages\; wild and cultivated asparagus\; thistles\; rue\; parsley\; mint\; olusatrum\; caraway\; lovage\; dittander\; gith</i>
Pliny the Elder
23:24nature
32
Book 19, Chapters 53 62: <i>The poppy\; wild thyme\; the maladies of garden plants\; the proper method of watering gardens\; the juices and flavours of gaden herbs\; piperitis\; summary\; Roman author quoted\; foreign authors quoted</i>
Pliny the Elder
16:34nature
33
Book 20, Chapters 1 14:<i> Introduction\; remedies made from the wild cucumber\; elaterium\; anguine\; the cultivated cucumber\; pepones\; the gourd\; colocynthis\; rape\; turnips\; wild radish\; the cultivated radish\; the parsnip</i>
Pliny the Elder
23:01nature
34
Book 20, Chapters 15 29:<i> Remedies made from the wild parsnip\; gingidion\; the skirret\; sile\; elecampane\; onions\; cutlerk\; garlic\; the lettuce\; hawk weed\; beet\; endive</i>
Pliny the Elder
25:57nature
35
Book 20, Chapters 30 45: <i>Remedies made from cichorium\; seris\; the cabbage\; opinions of the Greeks\; cabbage sprouts\; the sea cabbage\; the squill\; bulbs\; bulbine\; garden asparagus\; parsley\; aplastrum</i>
Pliny the Elder
25:56nature
36
Book 20, Chapters 46 55:<i> Remedies made from olusatrum\; ocimum\; rocket\; nasturtium\; rue\; wild mint\; mint\; pennyroyal\; wild pennyroyal</i>
Pliny the Elder
29:11nature
37
Book 20, Chapters 56 73: <i>Remedies made from nep\; cummin\; ammi\; caper\; lovage\; cunila bubula\; piperitis\; origanum\; gith\; anise\; where the best anise is found</i>
Pliny the Elder
28:51nature
38
Book 20, Chapters 74 86: <i>Remedies made from dill\; white and black poppy\; the wild poppy\; purslain\; coriander\; orage\; the mallow\; wild lapathum\; cultivated lapathum</i>
Pliny the Elder
30:36nature
39
Book 20, Chapters 87 100: <i>Remedies made from mustard\; marrubium\; wild thyme\; linseed\; blite\; meum\; fennel\; hemp\; the thistle\; the comoposition of thesiaca\; summary\; Roman authors quoted\; foreign authors quoted</i>
Pliny the Elder
25:09nature

Listener Reviews 571

Listener Rating
4.8
Based on 571 verified ratings
5
5%
4
65%
3
30%
2
0%
1
0%
Your Opinion

Sign in to rate and write a review

KO
Kwame O.
September 28, 2020
The pacing is just right — never drags

Recommended by my colleague and I see why. The kind of book that makes you feel smarter without making you feel like you're studying. Light touch, heavy impact.

ED
Esteban D.
August 2, 2025
A masterpiece hiding in plain sight

Unodio having this for free is honestly unreal. I would have paid for this without hesitation. The quality is that good.

HA
Hana A.
August 2, 2025
Absolutely hooked from chapter one

I stumbled onto The Natural History Volume 4 randomly and honestly? Best accident ever. The way Pliny the Elder explains things — it just clicks. I've tried similar books and they always felt dry. This one actually kept me engaged start to finish.

VP
Vikram P.
August 2, 2025
Did not expect this to hit so hard

Okay so I'm not usually big on audiobooks but a friend insisted I try this. Three chapters in and I was completely sold. The Natural History Volume 4 is genuinely well-made — the content, the pacing, all of it.

More Nature & Wildlife Audiobooks

16 Audiobooks
Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild

Jack London

Oku no Hosomichi

Oku no Hosomichi

Matsuo Bashō

Girl of the Limberlost

Girl of the Limberlost

Gene Stratton-Porter

Noiseless Patient Spider

Noiseless Patient Spider

Walt Whitman

Country of the Pointed Firs

Country of the Pointed Firs

Sarah Orne Jewett

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

William Wordsworth

North of Boston

North of Boston

Robert Frost

Jazz Fantasia

Jazz Fantasia

Carl Sandburg

Calendar of Sonnets

Calendar of Sonnets

Helen Hunt Jackson

Vagabond Song

Vagabond Song

Bliss Carman

Short Poetry Collection 001

Short Poetry Collection 001

Various

Moby Dick, or the Whale

Moby Dick, or the Whale

Herman Melville

Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman

On Passing Deadman’s Island

On Passing Deadman’s Island

Thomas Moore

The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild

Jack London

White Fang

White Fang

Jack London

Explore Related Categories:🏛 History🎧 Podcasts🌙 Bedtime Stories🔪 Crime & Thriller🕵️ Mystery🪷 Buddhist Stories