Seneca’s and Pliny’s Legacy. Theoretical and Practical Weather Knowledge in Late Antiquity and in the Early Middle Ages

This paper contributes to the study of the literary reception of Seneca’s Quaestiones Naturales and Pliny’s monumental Naturalis Historia by analysing to what extent later authors, such as Isidore of Seville (Etymologiae, De natura rerum), and Bede the Venerable (De natura rerum), incorporated meteorological phenomena described by Seneca and Pliny into their own works. The analysis will follow different approaches. On the one hand, the transmission of these two first-century CE works will be examined: where and when did later authors have access to these fundamental texts in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages? Was this reception directly connected to the original sources, or based on compilations (such as Solinus) and/or late antique Christian authors (such as Minucius Felix, Ambrose, and Augustine)? On the other hand, the language and content will be considered: how closely did later authors follow Seneca’s and Pliny’s wording? What can the changes reveal about the concepts of late antique and early medieval authors? Are there any practical experiences of weather phenomena included in these works? The paper shows that Pliny's legacy was extremely predominant, whereas Senecas Quaestiones naturales remained unattended from the 6th century to their "rediscovery" in the 12th century.