Prosopography highly selective birley, anthony richard. But that my colieirs may find you more conformable, and in order that you may lose nothing by the respect you showed for me, i make you the same offer on account of my share. Reading letters pliny younger introduction classical literature. Betty radice was an honorary fellow of st hildas college, oxford and vicepresident of the classical association. It is a rule, sir, which i inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts. Superest ut nec te consilii nec me paeniteat obsequii. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial and suetonius. A poodcast beard booze and barbecues show calvary chapel greenwood chill theorys hcvc sermons. Pliny the youngers most popular book is the letters of the younger pliny. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. The silver latin of pliny is mercifully easy to read. Pliny s lively and very personal letters address an astonishing range of topics, from a deeply moving account of his uncles death in the eruption that engulfed pompeii, to observations on the early christiansa. In the 368 letters included in his ten published books of epistles, pliny mentions over 30 women by name, addresses letters to seven, and refers to well over 40 anonymous women.
The letters of the younger pliny penguin classics by pliny the younger and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Pliny s letters are important as a social document of his times. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century.
Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 c. They document politics, social life, religion, the educational system, the treatment of slaves and include a vivid description of the eruption of vesuvius. Pliny the younger students britannica kids homework help. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to his friends and associates. Primary sources letters of pliny the younger and the.
Many of the references are brief comments in letters whose topics are the activities of plinys male acquaintances. Roman literary life book 1, letter 1 pliny has accepited his friends advice and collected some of his letters for publication. Plinys lively and very personal letters address an astonishing range of topics, from a deeply moving account of his uncles death in the eruption that engulfed pompeii, to observations on the early christiansa desperate. Between 100 and 109 pliny published nine books of selected, private letters, beginning with those covering events from the death of emperor domitian october 97 to the early part of 100. An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit.
Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. The roman law of succession in the letters of pliny the younger. The style is very different from that in the panegyricus, and some commentators maintain that pliny initiated a new genre. Correspondence, latin letters, translations into english, latin authors, omens, translations into finnish, biography. The fragment consists of six vellum leaves, or twelve pages, which apparently formed part of a gathering or quire of the.
If the construction of a new bath will not cripple the finances of prusa, we can indulge their wishes, only it must be understood that no new imposts are to be raised to meet the cost, and that their contributions for necessary expenses shall not show any falling off. He is best known as witness to the eruption of vesuvius in 79 that destroyed pompeii, and for his dealings with the early christians when a. Definitely recommended to those who are interested. In the 368 letters included in his ten published books of epistles, pliny mentions over 30 women by name, addresses letters to seven, and refers to well over 40. The tenth book contains addresses to emperor trajan on assorted official problems and the emperors replies. Literature was taken much more seriously in the time of the emperor claudius. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. Pliny was, as we know, a prolific writer of letters and, more important, being convinced of his qualities as an author, he published these letters. Pliny s uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him. Note on the text the text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9book, the 10book and the 8book, known as.
The fate of plinys letters in the late empire jstor. The text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9 book, the 10 book and the 8 book, known as. The letters of pliny quasi semper victurus occiderit, quamvis ipse plurima opera et mansura condiderit, multum tamen perpetuitati eius scriptorum tuorum aeternitas addet. Pliny the younger has 146 books on goodreads with 6614 ratings. Book 1, letter 3 pliny is shocked that the people walk out in the middle of recitations. The present recess from business affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. Plinius traiano imperatori letter 40 letter 41 traianus plinio c. Complete letters ebook by pliny the younger rakuten kobo. The letters of the younger pliny have come down to us in 10 books, 9 of his personal letters, and book 10 containing his official correspondence with the emperor trajan. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. Read in english by andrew coleman the largest surviving body of pliny s work is his epistulae letters, a series of personal missives directed to his friends, associates and the emperor trajan. Cato defined an orator as a good man, skilled in speaking quintilian, xii.
Books by pliny the younger author of the letters of the. Letters and panegyricus i, letters books ivii by pliny the younger vi, 16 and vi, 20 summary one of the first things that pliny the younger writes about, is how great his uncle was. A collection of letters from about 1900 years ago might be dusty, out of date and a mere curiosity, but the letters of pliny are far from this. The women of plinys letters 1st edition joann shelton. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. Ad 611, a prominent lawyer and administrator, was also a prolific letterwriter. Contents size vellum binding t he morgan fragment of pliny the younger contains the end of book ii and the beginning of book iii of the letters ii, xx. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. I am extremely desirous therefore to know your sentiments concerning spectres, whether you believe they actually exist and have their own proper shapes and a measure of divinity, or are only the false impressions of a terrified imagination. You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. These letters concern an episode which marks the first time the roman government recognized christianity as a. I am no latinist and know little of ancient rome, so it was a delight to find such an approachable translation. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. The letters of the younger pliny are a good source to look into during this period of roman history to see the dangers and excitement in which these people lived there certainly was a lot of it.
The last was written during his tour of administration of bithynia, during which he may well have died. Nonfiction harvard classics pliny the younger letters. It is established that suetonius book was published after plinys letters and it would. Pliny to cornelius tacitus thank you for asking me to send you a description of my uncles death so that you can leave an accurate account of it for posterity1. While this book does contain a lot of first hand information about life in imperial rome especially the legal system and the elaborate network of favors, obligations, and patronage in the senatorial class its not especially readable, being a collection of letters written by pliny and, near the end, by the emperor trajan to pliny. Four detailed appendices give invaluable historical and scholarly context, including a helpful timeline for pliny s life and career, detailed bibliographical help on over 30 popular topics in pliny s letters and a summary of the main characters mentioned in the letters. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. Plinii caecilii secundi epistularum liber primus i c. Jun 24, 2010 while the first nine books of plinys letters follow a roughly chronological orderthe author disingenuously maintains hes just selected them casually, almost at randombook 10 is made up of official correspondence exchanged during his tenure as governor of bithynia part of modernday turkey.
The collection includes his wellknown letters about the eruption of vesuvius. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. The letters of pliny liber decimus ad traianum imperatorem cum eiusdem responsis i c.
As you are an exemplary instance of tender regard to your family in general, and to your late excellent brother in particular, whose warm attachment you returned with an equal fondness. The elder pliny s natural history is one of the greatest books of ancient times, a massive compendium of scientific knowledge, travellers tales, zoological observation and believe it or not anecdote. This genial encyclopedia takes up ten compact volumes in the loeb library, with latin and english on facing pages, and still makes. Dear acilius, 1 a terrible thing, worthy of more than just a letter, has been suffered at the hands of his slaves by larcius macedo, a man of praetorian rank. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. They thus lack the spontaneity of ciceros impulsive utterances, but to most modern readers who are not special students of roman history they are even more interesting. Pliny s letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad. Then follows a translation of the two letters that pliny the younger, an eyewitness to the eruption, wrote to his friend tacitus 25 years later. Some are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian tacitus.
Librivox recording of letters of pliny by pliny the younger. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. The project gutenberg ebook of letters of pliny, by pliny this ebook is for the use. Book x of his collection of letters consists of the correspondence between him and trajan and it gives a unique insight into the daily problems of running a province. The letters of pliny the younger audiobook by john b. Providing a series of fascinating views of imperial rome, the letters of the younger pliny also offer one of the fullest selfportraits to survive from classical times. Letters of pliny the younger and the emperor trajan. He states that his uncle pliny the elder had the unusual ability to be able to write something worth reading and be able to do something worth. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. Pliny served as an imperial magistrate under trajan reigned 98117, 2 and his letters to trajan provide one of the few surviving records of the. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. The letters, on which today his fame mainly rests, were largely written with a view to publication, and were arranged by pliny himself. Collegi non servato temporis ordine neque enim historiam componebam, sed ut quaeque in manus 2 venerat.