The aesthetics of scale in Pliny’s Natural History

• Applicant: Dr. Eva Noller
• Subject Area: Greek and Latin Philology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 523759795

The aesthetics of scale is a mode of display in Pliny’s Natural History that has not yet received any attention. It is, however, of fundamental importance for a deeper understanding of the Natural History. As its encyclopaedic content already makes clear, scale plays a fundamental role in Pliny’s work, since the totality of nature is depicted from her greatest to her smallest creations. But the significance of scale goes far beyond the content of the Natural History. It also concerns the principles of representation themselves. By taking into account the entire work, fundamental insights into Pliny’s encyclopaedic writing, i.e. the metapoetics of the Natural History can be gained – a topic, which until now has not been explored. Furthermore, the exploration of the aesthetics of scale can also provide insights into the literary, aesthetic and political-ideological contexts and discourses in which the Natural History participates. In particular, the concept of the sublime, which has not yet been taken into account for the Natural History, will be brought into focus.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants