The Sylva Sylvarum (1627) is recognized as the first 'treatise on natural history'. Some regard it as the most-complete work, for its day.
But as early as 70AD, other works existed, such as Pliny's work on Natural History.
It's hard to think that the only difference between these works is 1600 years. Science (as we think of it today), and knowledge in general, doesn't change. The same observations can be made at any point in time.
So why was the modern of of F. Bacon such a landmark? Did he introduce some style of communicating that was wholly different?
