Like many silver latin writers, there is little evidence that plinys letters achieved the literary fame he had desired, until the revival of these writers in the fourth century. Complete letters by pliny the younger, oxford classics, 2009 pliny the younger, vesuvius, iron bear press, 2008. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. Most of these commentaries started out as assignments in latin classes at the university of. The correspondence between pliny and emperor trajan shows that the roman empire, as a government entity, did not at this time seek out christians for prosecution or persecution. 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. 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. Pliny book 1, letter 1 english translation pliny book 1, letter 1. In around 110 ad, pliny was appointed governor of the roman province of bithyniapontusis north west asia minor. Pliny was as much storyteller as scientist, and his writing is laced with both anecdotes and philosophical musings that, for the most part, bemoan mankinds misappropriation of nature.
He used to say that there was no book so bad that it was not useful at some point. The loeb classical library edition of pliny the younger is in two volumes. At this time, pliny already had reached the peak of his political career. The letters of the younger pliny penguin classics pdf.
Plinys uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him. 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. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 c. Page 477 it was not at that distance discernible from what mountain this cloud issued, but it was found afterwards to ascend from mount vesuvius. Pliny, martial and regulus, or the problem of lacking approval in lifetime scholars usually date book 19 of the letters to the period of 96108 ad5. This is the first general introduction to pliny s letters published in any language, combining close readings with broader context and adopting a fresh and innovative approach to reading the letters as an artistically structured collection. These commentaries provide rather complete comments on grammar and full vocabulary lists unless otherwise noted.
Jan 06, 2014 book 1 indicates the sweep of the work in a detailed table of contents, accompanied by a list of established experts from whom pliny borrowed. This was a delightful read, with much that is quotable. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger. What emerges from this book is a panoramic picture of a world that is not even very different from our own. Pliny the younger wrote letters about his life in ancient rome. His carefully groomed letters reveal a fascinating picture of the mature empire. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. Gibson and ruth morello frontmatter more information acknowledgements this book began as a conversation on a train on the way back from a conference in 1998.
Book 1, letter 3 pliny is shocked that the people walk out in the middle of recitations. Clarus, is also notable for giving plinys reasons for collecting his letters. Pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus, suetonius and the emperor trajan, as well as a wide circle of friends and family. Letters of pliny the younger and the emperor trajan. The text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9book, the 10book and the 8book, known as.
Her choice of a glorious death over living in widowhood in greatly reduced. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past. Like many silver latin writers, there is little evidence that pliny s letters achieved the literary fame he had desired, until the revival of these writers in the fourth century. 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.
You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. The first reference to plinys own activities as a poet is to be found in book 4, which sherwinwhite dates to 1045 ad6. The historians request this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. Translation is eschewed in favor of describing the grammar of difficult passages more. The love i bear you obliges me to give you, not indeed a precept for you are far from needing a preceptor, but a. 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. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c.
See key to translations for an explanation of the format. The text of book x relies on the two editions printed from now lost portions of the st. Literature was taken much more seriously in the time of the emperor claudius. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such. He was the grandson of senator and landowner gaius caecilius, revered his uncle, pliny the elder who at this time was extremely famous around the roman empire, and provided sketches of how his uncle worked on. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice. 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.
Arria was by no means a political innocent and would certainly have shared the blame for her husbands role in the conspiracy. Pliny the younger was born in novum comum como, northern italy around 61 ad, the son of lucius caecilius cilo, born there, and his wife plinia marcella, a sister of pliny the elder. I cannot give you a more exact description of its figure than by resembling it to that of a pinetree, for it shot up a great height in the form of a trunk, which extended itself at the top into a sort of branches. Pliny the younger was governor of pontus and bithynia from 1111 ce. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to his friends and associates. These facts, however, my dear pliny, do not mean that you should consider any new charge brought against him as the less deserving of attention. I have read the memorials of furia prima, his accuser, and of archippus himself, which you enclosed in your second letter.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Commentaries on latin letters the university of vermont. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. Roman literary life book 1, letter 1 pliny has accepited his friends advice and collected some of his letters for publication. These letters concern an episode which marks the first time the roman government recognized christianity as a. Book 1 indicates the sweep of the work in a detailed table of contents, accompanied by a list of established experts from whom pliny borrowed. Click on the l symbols to go the latin text of each letter. For, raised by a very long trunk, just as if it were being spread high into sort of what looked like branches, i believe because it was spread about by the recent blast onto its breadth, it then dispersed, left by that as it weakened or even subdued by its weight, at times it was white, at times dirty and stained according to the soil or ash it had taken away. Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters.
Pliny saw himself as a writer and you can see that in his carefully thoughtout pleasing phrases and sentences. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century. 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. As already mentioned above, highlights of these books include plinys. This is the first general introduction to plinys letters published in any language, combining close readings with broader context and adopting a fresh and innovative approach to reading the letters as an artistically structured collection. The project gutenberg ebook of letters of pliny, by pliny this ebook is for the use of. In the letters of pliny the younger he writes of the anguish he feels after the death of his slaves, and. 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.
I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. The style is very different from that in the panegyricus, and some commentators maintain that pliny initiated a new genre. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caec. A darker pliny working papers on nervan, trajanic and hadrianic literature 1. Pliny the younger, nephew of the great naturalist pliny the elder, was a roman orator. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. Plinys letters are important as a social document of his times. You have to wait until the end of the book to see the breezy roman way he makes the decision to execute a couple of christian women. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. Pliny has a gift for description and a versatile prose style, and more than any of his contemporaries he gives an unprejudiced picture of rome as he knew it. Trajans reply to the letter by pliny from 2 days ago.
Primary sources letters of pliny the younger and the. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. There seems to have been a cast of uncommon blackness in the character of this regulus. The love i bear you obliges me to give you, not indeed a precept for you are far from needing a preceptor, but a reminder that you should resolutely act up to the knowledge you already have, or else improve it. It consisted of beroalduss edition of the nine books 1498, the portions of book x published by avantius in 1502, and, on inserted leaves, the missing letters of books viii and x. Right away the younger pliny tells us that this letter is a response to tacitus request for information to help with his. An unsuspected shared enthusiasm for pliny led to a. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. Pliny book 8, letter 24 student commentary pliny book 8, letter 24 english.
Pliny the younger wrote letters about his life in ancient. Pliny s letter is the earliest pagan account to refer to early christians and provides a key description of roman administrative process and problems. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. In this letter, pliny is writing about events that happened more than a half century earlier.
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