Epistulae vi letters 6 is the sixth of ten books of letters by the roman lawyer and author pliny the younger, mainly written around 106 to 107 ce. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. 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. The style is very different from that in the panegyricus, and some commentators maintain that pliny initiated a new genre. Pliny the younger was born in novum comum como, northern italy around 61 the son of lucius caecilius cilo, born there, and his wife plinia marcella, a sister of pliny the elder. 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. There are 247 surviving personal letters and 121 official memoranda to the emperor trajan. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book great. Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus.
Book 10 of pliny the youngers letters consist of his correspondence with the emperor trajan when he was governor. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. The letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. The final chapter focuses on the grand design which unifies and structures the collection. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. Pliny the younger pliny, the younger the online books page.
To those who are not acquainted with the immense riches of the ancients, it may seem incredible that a city, and not the capital one either, of a conquered province should expend so large a sum of money upon only the shell as it appears to be of a theatre. The younger pliny was consul suffectus from september to. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. 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. Mar 22, 2012 chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. 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.
Of these, letters 16 and 20 are the most famous and longest ones, written to the historian tacitus and describing the eruption of mount vesuvius when he was a boy in august. 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. Click on the l symbols to go the latin text of each letter. However, only the first half of this book is without significant typos. Investigating the authenticity of pliny the youngers letter to trajan concerning the christians. The letters of pliny the younger is a deserved classic an intimate glimpse of the daily life of an upperclass roman citizen in the late first century a.
Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 c. 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 the younger pliny, the younger an online book about this author is available, as is a wikipedia article pliny, the younger. Buy a cheap copy of the letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. A serious quarrel among scholars concerning its genuineness arose between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. 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. This post begins a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. They were there when vesuvius began its 18hour eruption on august 24, 79 a. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. Pliny the younger pliny, the younger an online book about this author is available, as is a wikipedia article. Reading the letters of pliny the younger an introduction. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a.
Nonfiction harvard classics pliny the younger letters. 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. He is the author of the memoir an open book 2003 and several collections of essays, including book by book 2005 and classics for pleasure 2007. The letters of pliny the youngerletter ii, ix wikisource. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. Pliny s uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to the eruption of vesuvius on 24 august 79 ad. The letters of the younger pliny pliny the younger. The letters by gaius plinius caecilius secundus librarything. Plinys uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to. 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.
These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century ce. Chapters 4 to 7 study thematic letter cycles within the collection, including those on pliny s famous country villas and his relationships with pliny the elder and tacitus. Plinys uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. 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. Fresh doubts on authenticity of plinys letter about the. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice. An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. 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 plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 ad ca. 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. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. The letters of pliny the younger kindle edition by pliny. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Hammonds pliny the youngers views on government,z and its connection with the coinlegends of the period with their emphasis on security, liberty restored, and good fortune. An application of a profilebased method for authorship verification. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger free at loyal books. 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.
Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. When he was 18 years old, pliny the younger and his mother were living at his uncles villa in misenum. One of the first things that pliny the younger writes about, is how great his uncle was. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book.
Originally intended as letters for historian tacitus, to describe and perhaps glorify the. 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. Pliny the younger was governor of pontus and bithynia from 1111 ce. Letters of pliny the younger to the historian tacitus. The boy had an alert character but an unreliable one, which however he could have followed what is right, if he had not taken after his father.
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. Choose from 500 different sets of pliny flashcards on quizlet. Of this one misfortune he is not deserving, but i do not know whether he considers it a misfortune. The younger pliny was consul suffectus from september to october. 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. Letters and panegyricus i, letters books ivii by pliny the younger vi, 16 and vi, 20 summary. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. My dear tacitus, you ask me to write you something about the death of my uncle so that the account you transmit. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century. Page 378 they affirmed, however, that this had been the sunywhether of their crime or their delusion.
It is true that he perished in a catastrophe which. 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. Jun 16, 2016 pliny to attius clemens regulus has lost his son. On one such occasion i caught sight of the letters of pliny the younger loeb library. Michael dirda is a fulbright fellowship recipient and pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world. Jun 24, 2010 pliny the youngers correspondence with numerous friendsbesides tacitus, he also knew the historian suetonius and the poet martialprovides one of the great records of what life was like during roman times. 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. 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 pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. 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. This was the disaster that buried pompeii, herculaneum, and other sites.
His latest book, on conan doyle, was published in 2011 by princeton university press. 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 recording. 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 desperate. The third book i wish to speak about i came upon entirely by accident. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in 61 or 62 a. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. This political message has inspired several articles, notably k.
His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. 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. A witness to the eruption of vesuvius, pliny the younger 61 1 ad was a successful politician, public servant, and advisor to the emperor trajan. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. The letters the thing in pliny, book 7, in morello and morrison 2007, 191. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such. These two letters are the most famous, in which pliny the younger encounters christianity for the first time.
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