Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE) was a Roman naturalist whose encyclopedia Naturalis Historia described a sickness of the lungs in slaves who worked with asbestos cloth and noted the use of a bladder-skin mask to reduce dust inhalation. His writings are among the earliest recorded observations linking asbestos dust to disease.

Origin

Pliny wrote in the first century CE during the early Roman Empire. His observations about asbestos appear in Naturalis Historia, completed around 77 CE, shortly before he died observing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Pliny's writings are routinely cited in legal proceedings and medical literature to show that the harmful effects of breathing asbestos dust were observable nearly 2,000 years ago. This historical record undercuts industry arguments that asbestos disease was unknown or unforeseeable, and it supports the position that manufacturers and employers had access to longstanding warnings about the dust. Patients and families may see Pliny referenced in expert reports, briefs, and trial exhibits as part of the "state of knowledge" timeline that establishes when companies should have acted to protect workers.

Example Sentence

At trial, the plaintiff's historian explained that warnings about asbestos dust date back to Pliny the Elder, contradicting the defense claim that the hazards only became known in the late twentieth century.

Related Terms

State of the Art Defense, Foreseeability, Duty to Warn, Historical Knowledge of Asbestos Hazards, Notice

Notes

• If your case involves a "state of the art" or "we didn't know" defense, ask your legal team whether historical sources like Pliny, Ramazzini (1700), and Murray (1899) will be presented to rebut it.
• Preserve any company documents, training materials, or industrial hygiene manuals that reference historical knowledge of asbestos hazards. They can corroborate that the employer had access to this information.
• Pliny is most often cited in failure-to-warn and punitive-damages portions of a case, where the length of time the hazard has been known affects how a jury views corporate conduct.