Ethical Matters. Pliny the Elder on Material Deception

The chapter highlights the intellectual dimension of the Roman discourse on materials by discussing the ideological and moral implications of a set of passages from Pliny’s Natural History dedicated to golden surfaces. In these passages, Pliny explores the ethical implications of golden veneers in the decoration of inner environments as well as in the production of vessels and statues both in bronze and in marble. Throughout the encyclopaedia, gold is presented as the foremost ‘problematic’ substance due to the conflict between intrinsic, natural qualities and its economic value. By highlighting the inconsistencies in human appreciation of gold, Pliny exploits the potential of materiality to the purpose of constructing his view of the contemporary society, as well as of the Roman political past and present. In particular, Pliny addresses the issue of gilding and, in general, the practice of disguising the material layers of an object in light of his views about memory and technological progress.