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. I am extremely desirous therefore to know whether you believe in the existence of ghosts, and that they have a real form, and are a sort of divinities, or only the visionary impressions of. It is true that he confessed his guilt, but it is an open question whether he did so because he was guilty or. Pliny s letters are important as a social document of his times. Letters of pliny the younger and the emperor trajan. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Many of his vast circle of associates are visible elsewhere among the rich literary and epigraphic sources surviving for the flavian and trajanic periods, and in. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book. I have enjoyed this book and the notes are helpful to facilitate translation without doing all the work for the reader. The fundamental basic resource, now in its 3rd edition. It has occurred to you that a company of firemen could be established in nicomedia, following the example of several cities.
I am pleased to find by your letter that you are engaged in building. The historians request this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. Encyclopedia of the ancient world, leiden 200210 cil corpus inscriptionum. In her new student commentary covering a total of 30 letters of pliny the younger, joann shelton has provided a valuable vade mecum to inter mediate latin students everywhere. Choose from 500 different sets of pliny letter translation flashcards on quizlet. The letters, on which today his fame mainly rests, were largely written with a view to publication, and were arranged by pliny himself. 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. 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. Letters and panegyricus, 2 vols, cambridge, ma the same translation scarcia scarcia, r. Buy a cheap copy of 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.
It is a rule, sir, which i inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts. You will say that this is all very sad and pitiful, but that a man who defiled his profession of letters by the guilt of incest deserves to suffer. Satrius rutus spoke next, and, meaning to steer a middle course. 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 caec. Commentary by jacqueline carlon oxford greek and latin college commentaries by jacqueline carlon 1 may 2016 4. Pliny book 1 pliny book 1, letter 1 english translation. 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. Short biographies of the elder and younger pliny, setting the context for the vesuvian letters two letters.
Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus. 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. Plinys letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad. This penguin classics edition is translated with an introduction by betty radice. 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. Pliny, the younger is also know as plinius caecilius secundus, gaius. Melmonths translation of plinys letters, was first pub. Pliny s letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book great.
Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. The letters of book 10 are addressed to or from the emperor trajan. These letters, recording most aspects of ancient roman public and private life, were taken as models well into the eighteenth century. It may be wondered that pliny should keep his own temper, and check the. An index to the letters on this site arranged by book and letter number. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication.
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 work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. This anthology offers a comprehensive introduction to pliny the youngers epistulae for intermediate. These letters concern an episode which marks the first time the roman government recognized christianity as a. Correspondence with trajan from bithynia, 1990 warminster. In the past century the text of plinys correspondence has attracted many editors. 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 the younger pliny by pliny the younger. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus.
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. This post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. Complete letters ebook by pliny the younger rakuten kobo. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. 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 governors. Prosopography highly selective birley, anthony richard. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. Selected letters from pliny the youngers epistulae. Older post translating plinys letters about vesuvius, pt. Pliny the younger, letters and panegyricus, with an english translation by betty radice, 1969 cambridge mass. This paper establishes a new date for the publication of suetonius illustrious men through allusions to suetonius virgil in pliny, letters 5. Learn pliny letter translation with free interactive flashcards.
Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. He is known to have been there two years, and is presumed to have died there before the end of 1. Primary sources letters of pliny the younger and the. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. But we should remember that your province and especially those cities have been troubled by factions of this sort.
His translation, my preference was for real paternity. The letters of pliny the younger with observations on each. Pliny book 1 pliny book 1, letter 1 english translation pliny book 1, letter 1 latin text. The numbering of the letters in this book has been changed slightly to bring it into line with the most recent editions. The text of books i to ix of the letters rests on three manuscript traditions, the 9book, the 10book and the 8book, known as. These allusions are part of a much wider network of allusions, both within this particular letter and more generally in plinys book 5, that revolves around the theme of unpublished writings. Pliny book 10, letter 96 english translation pliny book 10, letter 96. You very justly, sir, express the fear that the lake may drain itself dry if its waters are turned into the river and so into the sea, but i fancy that i have discovered a way to meet this difficulty. I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. The letters of book 10 were published after plinys death, and were probably not so harshly selected as in the case of the letters of books 1 to 9 of his correspondence on. Some are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian tacitus. Click on the l symbols to go the latin text of each letter.
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 younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. 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. Plinys investment schedule for otium aims toward the procurement of further negotium with a singlemindedness that many persons would not consider to resemble leisure at all. 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. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. More importantly shelton has confronted the difficulties i outlined above with aplomb. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. 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.
This comprehensive general commentary on the nine books of the younger pliny s private letters which cover nearly aspect of roman life except warfareoffers a selfcontained discussion of each letter or group of associated letters and their rich array of information about the authors social, political, and legal life and times. 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. With an english translation by william melmoth, rev. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. Book 10 the correspondence between pliny and the emperor trajan has its own divisional titlepage and preface. The present recess from business we are now enjoying affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. The present recess from business affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. This comprehensive general commentary on the nine books of the younger plinys private letterswhich cover nearly aspect of roman life except warfareoffers a selfcontained discussion of each letter or group of associated letters and their rich array of information about the authors social, political, and legal life and times. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. Pliny book 1, letter 9 latin text pliny book 1, letter 10 student commentary pliny book 1, letter 10 english translation pliny book 1, letter 10 latin text pliny book 1, letter english translation. If ever the polite arts flourished in our city, they are. Pliny s investment schedule for otium aims toward the procurement of further negotium with a singlemindedness that many persons would not consider to resemble leisure at all.
Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. A prominent lawyer and administrator, pliny was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such. The blog posts about the vesuvius eruption are on hold while i complete my book, pliny and the destruction of vesuvius routledge, 2021. Read complete letters by pliny the younger available from rakuten kobo. Pliny book 1, letter 6 latin text pliny book 1, letter 9 english translation pliny book 1, letter 9 latin text pliny book 1, letter 10 student commentary. A total of 107 letters exchanged between them while he was abroad constitute the tenth book of his epistulae, prefaced by fourteen more addressed to trajan earlier in plinys career. Pliny book 1, letter 9 english translation pliny book 1, letter 9 latin text pliny book 1, letter 10 student commentary pliny book 1, letter 10 english translation.
Having never been present at any trials of the christians, i am unacquainted with the method and limits to be observed either in. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past. This volume is the most useful and important work ever published on pliny the younger. A reconstruction of the transmission history of epp. 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. The roman law of succession in the letters of pliny the younger.