Biological literature of the Roman imperial period remains somehow 'underestimated'. It is even quite difficult to speak of biological literature for this period at all: biology (apart from medicine) did not represent, indeed, a specific 'subgenre' of scientific literature. Nevertheless, writings as disparate as Philo of Alexandria's Alexander, Plutarch's De sollertia animalium or Bruta ratione uti, Aelian's De Natura Animalium, Oppian's Halieutika, Pseudo-Oppian's Kynegetika, and Basil of Caeserea's Homilies on the Creation engage with zoological, anatomic, or botanical questions. Poikile Physis examines how such writings appropriate, adapt, classify, re-elaborate and present biological knowledge which originated within the previous, mainly Aristotelian, tradition. It offers a holistic approach to these works by considering their reception of scientific material, their literary as well as rhetorical aspects, and their interaction with different socio-cultural conditions. The result of an interdisciplinary discussion among scholars of Greek studies, philosophy and history of science, the volume provides an initial analysis of forms and functions of biological literature in the imperial period.

This volume presents the first compilation of all the works and notes from Nietzsche's personal library up to the beginning of January 1889. It lists the stocks from both the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek and the Goethe- und Schiller Archiv in Weimar. The critical analysis of other stock lists has revealed numerous further titles which are no longer in existence. In addition, the editors have evaluated all the book invoices and receipts from booksellers and bookbinders kept in the Goethe- und Schiller Archiv. Besides the approximately 2,200 titles from the reconstruction of Nietzsche's library, the volume also contains a catalogue of all traces of Nietzsche's reading (approx. 20,000) such as notes, underlinings and dog-ears. The work is further enhanced with numerous facsimile reproductions together with philosophical, historical and bibliographical introductions, and thus provides an indispensable tool for any future research into Nietzsche and his works.