Lxv to tacitus your request that i would send you an account of my uncles death, in order to transmit a more exact relation of it to posterity, deserves my acknowledgments. This was the disaster that buried pompeii, herculaneum, and other sites. Now the day begins, with a still hesitant and almost lazy dawn. Short biographies of the elder and younger pliny, setting the context for the vesuvian letters two letters. A standby of latin instruction for many years letter 6. 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.
Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book. Book 6 had awarded the emperor, newly returned from victory in. Chapter 1 traces plinys autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. Click on the l symbols to go the latin text of each letter. He is coeditor with ruth morello of both reimagining pliny the younger arethusa special number 36. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. Plinys letter is the earliest pagan account to refer to early christians and provides a key description of roman administrative process and problems.
This post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. Nonfiction harvard classics pliny the younger letters. Choose from 500 different sets of pliny letter translation flashcards on quizlet. Pliny the younger was the governor of bithynia et pontus on the black sea coast of anatolia turkey. The epistles of pliny oxford readings in classical. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. 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. 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. It is true that he perished in a catastrophe which. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to his friends and associates. A reconstruction of the transmission history of epp. The two letters written by pliny the younger describing the. Student commentary pliny book 2, letter 6 english translation pliny book 2, letter 6 latin text pliny book 2, letter 20 english translation.
These posts are part of a book project that intends to understand the scholarly and popular reception of those letters. 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. 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 an index with links to all the letters on this site arranged by topic, click here. Christopher whittons commentary on plinys epistles 2 reinforces the. Chapters 4 to 7 study thematic letter cycles within the collection, including those on.
The origin of christianity in that region is not known, but it has not been associated with apostle pauls travels. 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 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. The letters, on which today his fame mainly rests, were largely written with a view to publication, and were arranged by pliny himself. The two letters written by pliny the younger describing. Documentation in the following pages has been kept to a minimum. 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. Some are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian tacitus. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. Some more information about his career is provided by an inscription at comum. Selected letters internet history sourcebooks project.
Selected letters from pliny the youngers epistulae. These letters are a unique testimony of roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century. The first fourteen letters of this book are dated from the period preceding plinys appointment as governor his official title was that of legatus augusti pro praetore consulari potestate of bithynia and pontus, probably between 110 and 112 ce. The post is duly registered on the inscription ils 2927. Pliny likely wrote the letters from amisus before his term ended in january 1. Chapters 4 to 7 study thematic letter cycles within the collection, including those on plinys famous country vil. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such. There follows the commentary in about 440 pages on books i. The letters of pliny the younger contained in this volume provide intermediate and. Pliny book 1 pliny book 1, letter 1 english translation pliny book 1, letter 1 latin text. Pliny book 1, letter 10 student commentary pliny book 1. The style is very different from that in the panegyricus, and some commentators maintain that pliny initiated a new genre.
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. This edition, the first to address a complete book of epistles in over a century, presents a latin text together with an introduction and commentary intended for. For the duration of the mandate, observe that plinys predecessor julius ferox is attested both in 101 and in 103 cil 6. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. The blog posts about the vesuvius eruption are on hold while i complete my book, pliny and the destruction of vesuvius routledge, 2021. In a separate introduction to book x are discussed. Chapter 2 undertakes a detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. If nevertheless they were attracted either by the speed of the horses or by the skill of the drivers, then it would not be without reason. Gibson, reading the letters of sidonius by the book, in j. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. We see pliny describe his consideration for his modest wife 6. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. Aug 27, 20 2 by which i marvel all the more that so many thousands of men desire to see running horses so childishly, over and over again, and to see people standing on the chariots.
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. A comprehensive introduction to pliny the youngers epistulae, complete with extensive. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. The second book is a typically varied yet taut suite of miniatures, including among its twenty letters the trial of marius priscus and plinys famous portrait of his laurentine villa. Learn pliny letter translation with free interactive flashcards. For the duration of the mandate, observe that plinys predecessor julius ferox is. 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. An index to the letters on this site arranged by book and letter number. Syme suggested historia 6 1957 482483 that when pliny recom mended. He is currently completing a biography of pliny, man of high empire, and a commentary on pliny, letters book 6.
The oxford greek and latin college commentaries is designed for students in. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. Reading the letters of pliny the younger book depository. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial and suetonius. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. 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. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified.
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 elder. Gibson and ruth morello frontmatter more information. 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. 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. An index to the letters on this site arranged by book. Chapter 1 traces pliny s autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. Lefkowitz fannia was granddaughter of the famous arria the elder, a stoic, who committed suicide when her husband, caecina paetus, was condemned to death in a.
The tenth book of pliny the youngers correspondence gathers only letters exchanged between pliny and the emperor trajan. He plans to work next on a commentary on pliny, letters book 6. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. The text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9book, the 10book and the 8book, known as. Introductions for each letter guide students in understanding and interpreting the text. Titles of familiar handbooks and journals will be given by their usual initials.
A comprehensive introduction to pliny the youngers epistulae, complete with extensive commentary. 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. The last was written during his tour of administration of bithynia, during which he may well have died. This post begins a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6.
Gibson, 9780521842921, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Modestus, he explained, in a letter of his, which was read to domitian, had. You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Especially noteworthy among the letters are two in which he describes the eruption of mount vesuvius in august 79, during which his uncle pliny the elder died 65 and 66 in this edition, and one in which he asks the emperor for instructions regarding official policy concerning christians trajan letter 97. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice. Christopher whitton is lecturer in classics at the university of cambridge and fellow of emmanuel college. Pliny s letters are important as a social document of his times. The project gutenberg ebook of letters of pliny, by pliny this ebook is for the use of.
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