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. Ummidia quadratilla is dead, having lived almost to her eightieth year. Bell uses the real historical figure of pliny the younger as his ancient roman detective. The panegyricus is an expanded, published version of plinys oration of thanks to the emperor trajan in 100 ce. The natural history book vii with book viii 4 pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology. As already mentioned above, highlights of these books include plinys description of the eruption of. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented. Pliny is one of my favourite ancient authors it is a pleasure to read his work. Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus.
The letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. One night, his younger brother, who was sleeping in the same bed with him, saw, as he thought, somebody sitting on the couch, who put a pair of shears to his. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. 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. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger goodreads. However, only the first half of this book is without significant typos. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. Jul 03, 2010 in antiquity the classic account of the eruption, and of a small part of its devastation, occurs in a pair of letters written by pliny the younger 61 ad c. Buy a cheap copy of the letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. One night, as he and his younger brother were lying together, he fancied he saw.
Pliny the younger 3 pliny the younger or gaius plinius caecilius secundus 62c. The final chapter focuses on the grand design which unifies and structures the collection. The younger pliny s account of this therefore should be read with caution. 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. Proconsul of pontus and bithynia and persecutor of the christians there.
With an english translation by william melmoth, rev. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. The nephew and adopted son of the anthologist and natural historian pliny the elder, he was born in a. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to. 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 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 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. 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. She enjoyed till her last sickness an uninterrupted state of health, with a strength and firmness of body unusual even to matrons in their prime. Pliny the elder, or gaius plinius secundus ad 2379 was a roman equestrian from novum. She enjoyed till her last sickness an uninterrupted state of health, with a strength and. The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such subjects as botany, zoology, and astronomy.
The younger pliny was at misenum at the time of the eruption in ad79 and was approximately 17 years old then. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. The panegyricus is an expanded, published version of pliny s oration of thanks to the emperor trajan in 100 ce. I am extremely desirous therefore to know your sentiments concerning. Roman senator, nephew of pliny the elder, governor of bithynia pontus 109111, author of a famous collection of letters. Chronologically, it is suggested that books 1 to 3 were written between 97 and 102, books 4 to 7 were composed between. The present recess from business affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. When pliny the elder perished at stabiae during the eruption of vesuvius in ad 79, he left behind an enormous compendium of knowledge, his 37volume natural history, and a teenaged nephew who.
Chapters 4 to 7 study thematic letter cycles within the collection, including those on plinys famous country villas and his relationships with pliny the elder and tacitus. The younger plinys account of this therefore should be read with caution. The digital loeb classical library extends the founding mission of james loeb with an interconnected, fully searchable, perpetually growing virtual library of all that is important in greek and latin literature. He was only eight years old when his father, caecilius, died, and he was adopted by his uncle, the elder. 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. The natural history book vii with book viii 4 pliny the elders natural history is a vast encyclopaedia, surveying natural phenomena from cosmology to biology, medicine to magic.
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. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. In this letter, pliny the younger asks his friend sura whether or not he believes in ghosts. Travillian is visiting assistant professor of classics, pacific lutheran university, usa. The fragment consists of six vellum leaves, or twelve pages, which apparently formed part of a gathering or quire of the original volume. He was a student of the famous rhetorician, quintillian, and gained fame early as a. Some notes on pliny s grammar, style, and syntax v. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caeci. Pliny the younger books list of books by author pliny. Pliny the younger 9 pliny the younger or gaius plinius caecilius secundus 62c. 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. 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.
Aug 23, 2019 pliny the younger, trajan emperor of rome 53117, domitian emperor of rome 5196, nerva emperor of rome ca. The nephew and adopted son of the anthologist and natural. The letters of pliny the younger kindle edition by pliny. Contents size vellum binding t he morgan fragment of pliny the younger contains the end of book ii and the. 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 the younger, russian river brewings worldfamous and excessively hoppy triple ipa, is about to make its debut for 2020, where it will be on taps from february 7 until february 20. Direct observation, informed speculation and common knowledge are combined to present a key snapshot of ancient thought and the romans perspective on the world around them. Pliny the younger refers to tacituss reliance upon his uncles book, the history of the german wars. Book vii of the natural history provides a detailed examination of the human animal and is. See all books authored by pliny the younger, including the letters of the younger pliny, and the historians of ancient rome, and more on. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. Pliny the younger books list of books by author pliny the. Pliny the younger, trajan emperor of rome 53117, domitian emperor of rome 5196, nerva emperor of rome ca.
279 347 1133 428 353 239 716 1374 284 148 957 472 1498 117 1360 458 1267 996 211 1007 717 503 1306 480 1222 564 679 848 1389 1123 1095 385 34 587 1406 1317 316 116 659 710 1035 1136