The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger. Plinys dates are pinned to the eruption of mount vesuvius in ad 79 and a statement of his nephew that he died in his 56th year, which would put his birth in ad 23 or 24 pliny was the son of an equestrian, gaius plinius celer, and his wife, marcella. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. Plinys uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to the eruption of vesuvius on august 24th, 79 ad. The letters of the younger pliny pliny the younger. Buy complete letters oxford worlds classics by pliny the younger, p. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 c. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as. Gibson, reading the letters of sidonius by the book, in j. Nevertheless, plinys reputation for sunny optimism and concealed anxieties is not an entirely.
Pliny the younger has 146 books on goodreads with 6614 ratings. Pliny the younger refers to tacituss reliance upon his uncles book, the history of the german wars. Plinys dates are pinned to the eruption of mount vesuvius in ad 79 and a statement of his nephew that he died in his 56th year, which would put his birth in ad 23 or 24 pliny was the son of an equestrian gaius plinius celer and his wife marcella. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. An application of a profilebased method for authorship verification. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j.
After serving as tribune in ad 91 and praetor in ad 93, emperor trajan appointed him governor of bithynia. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in 61 or 62 a. A serious quarrel among scholars concerning its genuineness arose between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The third book i wish to speak about i came upon entirely by accident. Complete letters oxford worlds classics paperback 26 feb 2009. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Books by pliny the younger author of the letters of the. The letters by gaius plinius caecilius secundus librarything. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. Rhiannon ash fellow and tutor in classics, merton college, oxford university discusses pliny and the genre of letter writing in the ancient world, with particular reference to letter 6. Be the first to ask a question about the letters of the younger pliny.
Book 6 had awarded the emperor, newly returned from victory in. Complete letters by pliny the younger, oxford classics, 2009 pliny the younger, vesuvius, iron bear press, 2008. Pliny the younger wrote letters about his life in ancient. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such. Pliny the younger inherited the estate of his uncle. Selected letters from pliny the youngers epistulae. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book. Pliny the elder died in ad 79 in stabiae while attempting the rescue of a friend and his family by ship from the eruption of mount vesuvius, which had already destroyed the cities of pompeii and herculaneum. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. Feb 24, 2009 read these ancient roman letters from the wife of pliny the younger new book reveals intriguing details about a longhidden society of ancient romans and their secret relationship with earliest. Aug 28, 2014 rhiannon ash fellow and tutor in classics, merton college, oxford university discusses pliny and the genre of letter writing in the ancient world, with particular reference to letter 6. It is true that he perished in a catastrophe which. Pliny the youngers letter to trajan regarding the christians is a crucial subject for the studies on early christianity.
The letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Plinys letters and the dialogus, hscp 89 1985, 171 206, at 189201, has convincingly shown that the publication of book 9 was. Reviewed in the united kingdom on september 29, 2009. Pliny the younger, the roman governor of bithynia and pontus now in modern turkey wrote a letter to emperor trajan around ad 112 and asked for counsel on dealing with the early christian community. So detailed and vital in the investigation, in fact, that in honor of pliny the younger they named the eruption after him a plinian eruption. Investigating the authenticity of pliny the youngers letter to trajan concerning the christians. 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. He was only eight years old when his father, caecilius, died, and he was adopted by his uncle, the elder pliny, author of the natural history.
His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. Letters of pliny the younger to the historian tacitus. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. 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, a haughty and savage master who remembered too little or rather too well that his own father had been a slave. For plinys usual rule of one letter, one theme, see sherwinwhite, op. Originally intended as letters for historian tacitus, to describe and perhaps glorify the. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus. Book 9, letter 19 pliny justifies the boastful tombstone of his friend, verginius rufus.
The letters of pliny the younger, selected and edited together with a companion to plinys letters. Now the day begins, with a still hesitant and almost lazy dawn. Pliny the youngers most popular book is the letters of the younger pliny. It is admitted to be a work of great learning eruditum, 3. It is often assumed that pliny the younger refers to his uncle and adoptive father, pliny. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. The women of pliny s letters by joann shelton onomasticon to the younger pliny. On one such occasion i caught sight of the letters of pliny the younger loeb library. Buy a cheap copy of the letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger.
Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. Fresh doubts on authenticity of plinys letter about the. Mar 22, 2012 chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. 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. Gaius or caius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius or caius plinius caecilius 6163 in como ca. My dear tacitus, you ask me to write you something about the death of my uncle so that the account you transmit. It would be more arrogant to assume that people will remember you even if you do not record your deeds on your tomb. After a spell as an advocate pliny became a successful politician. I have some three thousand books in my house and now and then, looking at the serried shelves, i realise that i havent one i want to read. 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. 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. 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. Their ultimate source is a fragmentary inscription cil v 1 3442 found in a field in.
As the only selection of the letters with extensive commentary, it provides instructors. Note on the text 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 the younger pliny the younger, pliny. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. Pliny the younger simple english wikipedia, the free. I got pliny the youngers letter to trajan from the notes to eusebius ecclesiastical history, book iii, ch. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past.
Plinys first letter to tacitus describes how his uncle sailed across the bay to save some people plinys second letter to tacitus tells how pliny himself barely escaped. The letters of pliny the younger on the eruption of vesuvius. Letters by pliny book reading the letters of pliny the younger. The letters of pliny the younger, selected and edited together with a companion to pliny s letters. Book 10 of pliny the youngers letters consist of his correspondence with the emperor trajan when he was governor. Pliny the younger books list of books by author pliny. Pliny the youngers ghost story from ancient athens pliny the younger wrote more than 247 personal letters and he also possessed an active imagination and an inquiring mind. This anthology offers a comprehensive introduction to pliny the youngers epistulae for. Page 378 they affirmed, however, that this had been the sunywhether of their crime or their delusion. He was only eight years old when his father caecilius died, and he was adopted by his uncle, the elder pliny, author of the natural history. Complete letters by pliny the younger, 9780199538942, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Stylistic theory and practice in the younger pliny 1983, 15361. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger goodreads. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus.
First letter, latin original letters, book 6, letter 16, in wikisource. Plinys detailed description of this cloud critical in determining the type of eruption that destroyed the city of pompeii. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice. Roman senator and writer, gaius plinius caecilius secundus otherwise known as pliny the younger, who was seventeen years old at the time of the eruption, had witnessed the vesuvius eruption of 79 ad from the home of his uncle in misenum and managed to write a very accurate account some 25 years later. The letters of the younger pliny penguin classics 9780140441277. Pliny the younger, or gaius plinius caecilius secundus, was the nephew and adopted son of pliny the elder, the author of the famous and importantly influential natural history in thirtyseven. Pliny elaborates on the two parts of this apology in other letters. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. Pliny s letter is the earliest pagan account to refer to early christians and provides a key description of roman administrative process and problems. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. Pliny the elder died in 79 ce, while attempting the rescue, by ship, of a friend and his family, in stabiae, from the eruption of mount vesuvius, which already had destroyed the cities of pompeii and herculaneum.
Jan 16, 2006 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, a haughty and savage master who remembered too little or rather too well that his own father had been a slave. 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. It would be a long story, and of no importance, were i to recount too particularly by what accident i who am not at all fond of society supped lately with a person, who in his own opinion lives in splendour combined with economy. The original source is pliny the younger, epistles 10.
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