Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in 61 or 62 a. The romans used to lie or walk naked in the sun, after anointing their bodies with oil, which was esteemed as greatly contributing to health, and therefore daily practised by them. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in. The fundamental basic resource, now in its 3rd edition. Pliny book 10, letter 97 english translation vroma. Book 1, letter 15 pliny s friend went to a fancy party.
Pliny s letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad. The nine books of letters pliny wrote between 97 and 109 were originally intended for publication and lack the intimacy and sparkle of ciceros letters to atticus, but they contain much personal information on both pliny and his times. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century. Both lively and personal, perhaps selfconsciously modelled on ciceros letters, these give us an intimate glimpse into rome at this period. The method you have pursued, my dear pliny, in sifting the cases of those denounced to you as cbristians is. 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 of 79 ce, as well as the death of his uncle, pliny the. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. Part autobiography, part social history, they document the career and interests of a senator and leading imperial official whose friends include the historians tacitus and suetonius. Book 1, letter 10 pliny gives a character description of the syrian philosopher, euphrates, who acts as his spiritual adviser. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. Epistulae x letters 10, also known as the correspondence with trajan is a book of letters by the roman lawyer and author pliny the younger to the emperor trajan between 109 and 111 ce. In these letters to his friends and relations, pliny the younger, lawyer, author, and natural philosopher, provides a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad.
Letter 96 is the most famous of the collection, and it contains the earliest external account of christian worship, and details what was to. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. 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. Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. Plinys letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad.
It is a rule, sir, which i inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts. The letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Having never been present at any trials of the christians, i am unacquainted with the method and limits to be observed either in. The letters of the younger pliny 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. Pliny book 10, letter 110 english translation pliny book 10, letter 110 latin text pliny book 10, letter 111 english translation pliny book 10, letter 111 latin text. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent.
This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. Book 1, letter 15 plinys friend went to a fancy party. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The smell of sulfur this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. They document politics, social life, religion, the educational system, the treatment of slaves and include a vivid description of the eruption of vesuvius. 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. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial, and suetonius. This custom, however, of anointing themselves, is inveighed against by the satirists as in the number of their luxurious indulgences. Selected letters internet history sourcebooks project.
Pliny the younger 10 pliny the younger or gaius plinius caecilius secundus 62c. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. He left a collection of letters which offers intimate glimpses into public and private life during the roman empire born of the wealthy caecilius family at comum in northern italy, pliny the younger, as he was later known, was probably given his early education by tutors at home and. With an english translation by william melmoth, rev. 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. Complete letters ebook by pliny the younger rakuten kobo. Book 10 the correspondence between pliny and the emperor trajan has its own divisional titlepage and preface. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. 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. The project gutenberg ebook of letters of pliny, by pliny this ebook is for the use of. I will content myself, however, with naming only euphrates10 the philosopher.
The letters of pliny the younger with observations on each. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial and suetonius. The text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9book, the 10book and the 8book, known as. Pliny s letters are important as a social document of his times. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. The style is very different from that in the panegyricus, and some commentators maintain that pliny initiated a new genre. I am pleased to find by your letter that you are engaged in building. 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 caec. These letters, recording most aspects of ancient roman public and private life, were taken as models well into the eighteenth century. Roman senator, nephew of pliny the elder, governor of bithynia pontus 109111, author of a famous collection of letters. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice.
The roman law of succession in the letters of pliny the younger. The letters of book 10 are addressed to or from the emperor trajan in their entirety, and it is. 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. The letters, on which today his fame mainly rests, were largely written with a view to publication, and were arranged by pliny himself. Book 10 of his letters is different, however, because it is comprised of official correspondence between pliny. The letters of the younger pliny the younger, pliny. Pliny served as an imperial magistrate under trajan reigned 98117, and his letters to trajan provide one of the few surviving records of the relationship between the imperial office and provincial. Pliny describes the simple meal his friend would have enjoyed if he had decided to. 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. It may be wondered that pliny should keep his own temper, and check the. Buy a cheap copy of the letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Pliny the younger was governor of pontus and bithynia from 1111 ce. 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.
William melmoth in harvard classics series introductory note. Pliny the younger was the governor of bithynia and pontus on the black sea coast of anatolia, having arrived there around september 111 as the representative of emperor trajan. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to his friends and associates. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. Choose from 500 different sets of pliny letter translation flashcards on quizlet.
Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. Prosopography highly selective birley, anthony richard. Pliny likely wrote the letters from amisus before his term ended in january 1. Read complete letters by pliny the younger available from rakuten kobo. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. He praises him to the skies and recommends him to his friend, attius clemens. Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus.
These two letters are the most famous, in which pliny the younger encounters christianity for the first time. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. Some are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian tacitus. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity.
The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. Letter 96 is the most famous of the collection, and it contains the earliest external account of christian worship, and details what was to become the standard roman policy toward. Pliny book 10, letter 96 english translation vroma. Plinys letters are important as a social document of his times. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his. The origin of christianity in that region is not known, but it has not been associated with paul the apostles travels. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad.
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