Context:

Tom explicitly states 'I've been reading through all his natural history' for a new book he's working on, discussing Pliny's compendium of facts about natural phenomena including animals.

Context:

Josephus is described as 'the Jewish writer who records the war that destroys Jerusalem' and is cited multiple times for accounts of crucifixion practices during the siege of Jerusalem.

Context:

Valerius Maximus is cited as the Roman writer who calls crucifixion 'Supplicium Servile' (the punishment of slaves).

Context:

Referenced as containing documentary evidence about crucifixion, specifically a commentary on the book of Genesis regarding the story of the baker from Joseph's story, describing how 'birds will eat the flesh from your head.'

Context:

Mentioned as mandating crucifixion as a punishment 'for those who are rebels against God and his prophet,' explaining why the Islamic State reintroduced crucifixion.