Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder , was a Roman historian , author and army commander in the reign of the Emperors Claudius and Nero . Famous for writing Naturalis Historia , he also witnessed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum . One of the horse-trappings bears his name and reads : PLINIO PRAEF ( ECTO ) EQ ( UITUM ) ( ' while Pliny was Prefect of the cavalry ' ) . This suggests that these horse-phalerae belonged to a cavalryman under his command when Pliny was stationed in Germania Inferior in approximately 50 AD
eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
Xanten Horse-Phalerae