"Epistolae" by Plinius de Jongere, printed in Amsterdam in 1659 by the renowned Elsevier (Elzevier) printing house. This volume contains the famous letters addressed to Tacitus (Book VI, letters 16 and 20), in which Pliny provides a vivid eyewitness account of the catastrophic eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 n.Chr.. These letters remain one of the earliest and most detailed descriptions of a natural disaster in recorded history. A well-known passage reads: "Nubes... similis interdum arbori... cuius figura maxime pinum expresserit." (“A cloud… resembling a tree… whose shape most closely suggested a pine.”) This striking image of the rising ash cloud has become iconic and is still cited in modern descriptions of volcanic eruptions. In total 404 pages plus index. The book is in remarkable good condition - it almost seems never read! Complete copy incl. Variantes lectiones, clear sharp printing with good margins, later but solid and attractive binding. Watermark in the last page.