The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such. With an english translation by william melmoth, rev. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage library. When pliny the elder perished at stabiae during the eruption of vesuvius in 79 ad, he left behind an enormous compendium of knowledge, his thirtysevenvolume natural history, and a teenaged nephew who revered him as a father. You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. Mingling acute observation with often wild speculation, it offers a fascinating view of the world as it was understood in the first century ad, whether describing the danger of diving for sponges, the first waterclock, or the use of asses milk to remove wrinkles. The epistulae are later copies of a series of personal missives by pliny the younger directed to.
Pliny has a gift for description and a versatile prose style, and more than any of his contemporaries he gives an unprejudiced picture of rome as he knew it. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover all ancient knowledge natural history became a model for later encyclopedias and scholarly works as a result of its breadth of subject matter, its referencing. This book is available with additional data at biodiversity heritage. It is only too evident that a provincial governor had very little scope for personal initiative or at least did not deem it prudent to show any appreciable. Table of contents of the others and of authorities. Letters of pliny the younger translation in english. The book is rambling and discursive, full of vignettes, asides, and diatribes. 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 christians.
We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover all ancient knowledge. Pliny the elder, roman savant and author of the celebrated natural history, an encyclopedic work of uneven accuracy that was an authority on scientific matters up to the middle ages. The panegyricus is an expanded, published version of pliny s oration of thanks to the emperor trajan in 100 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. An anxious night this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. 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. Plinius traiano imperatori 1 exprimere, domine, verbis non possum, quanto me gaudio affecerint epistulae tuae, ex quibus cognovi te arpocrati, iatraliptae meo, et alexandrinam civitatem tribuisse, quamvis secundum institutionem principum non temere eam dare proposuisses. The natural history there is no book so bad that some good cannot be got out of it, pliny the elder used to say, and he read everything that he could obtain.
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. Naturalis historia is an early encyclopedia published circa ad 7779 by pliny the elder. 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. Pliny, the younger is also know as plinius caecilius secundus, gaius. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. Start a free trial of quizlet plus by thanksgiving. Book 10, letter 111 such grants are technically illegal, but the official cannot be expected to return a 20year old grant now. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. 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. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister.
He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance. The natural history of pliny, volume 6 bohns classical library the natural history of pliny, henry thomas riley. It is a rule, sir, which i inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts. 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.
Melmonths translation of pliny s letters, was first pub. 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. Pliny read and dictated in a sedan chair as he moved about urban areas. 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. A japanese translation of book 9 was well underway and online, but. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caec. These two letters are the most famous, in which pliny the younger encounters christianity for the first time. Start studying chapter xxx pliny writes to his friends.
The comfortable world of scholarship on book 10 of plinys letters was. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. This post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6.
He was a student of the famous rhetorician, quintillian, and gained fame early as a lawyer, esp. One of the ancient pagan testimonia the epistle of pliny to trajan, 10. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. Roman senator, nephew of pliny the elder, governor of bithynia pontus 109111, author of a. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. Roman senator, nephew of pliny the elder, governor of bithynia pontus 109111, author of a famous collection of letters. Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. A wonderfully rich, witty, insightful, and wideranging portrait of the two plinys and their world. A greek translation was published in the province, presumably by the. Naturalis historia is a book about the whole of the natural world in latin by pliny the elder, a roman author and naval commander who died in 79 ad.
The man, it must be owned, highly respected his profession, grew pale with study and anxiety over it, and used to write out. Pliny the elder books list of books by author pliny the. 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. The work, which was largely complete by 77 ce, is divided into 37 books and covers such subjects as botany, zoology, and astronomy.
Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in 61 or 62 a. The method you have pursued, my dear pliny, in sifting the cases of those denounced to you as cbristians is extremely proper. 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. 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 then sent to rome. Having never been present at any trials of the christians, i am unacquainted with the method and limits to be observed either in. 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. In his book cannabis and the soma solution, the canadian chronicler of ancient cannabis use chris bennett notes that pliny cited references in an earlier work by the greek philosopher democritus c. Proconsul of pontus and bithynia and persecutor of the christians there. Pliny the younger encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. 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.
Pliny s panegyricus ad 100 survives as a unique example of senatorial rhetoric from the early roman empire. The nephew and adopted son of the anthologist and natural historian pliny the elder, he was born in a. Book 10 of his letters is different, however, because it is comprised of official correspondence between pliny and trajan respecting affairs in bithynia even those of minor import. Pdf the publication of plinys letters 2015 john bodel. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. 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.
The letters of book 10 are addressed to or from the emperor trajan in their entirety. The loeb classical library edition of pliny the younger is in two volumes. Mathematical and metrological survey of the universe. Pliny was an energetic man, hugely desirous of literary immortality, who wrote his books in the interstices of a full career as a soldier and an administrator.
Pliny the elder, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge the contents of the books are as follows. It offers an eyewitness account of the last years of domitians principate, the reign of nerva and trajans early years, and it communicates a detailed senatorial view on the behaviour expected of an emperor. 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. Book 10, letter 96 pliny is unsure how he should deal with the. The homepage for plinys natural history the historia naturalis of c. He was a student of the famous rhetorician, quintillian, and gained fame early as a. Plinys natural history is an astonishingly ambitious work that ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology. It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which i am in doubt. Pliny the younger 10 pliny the younger or gaius plinius caecilius secundus 62c. Book 10, letter 110 the city of amisus is trying to reclaim a large grant it gave 20 years ago to a city official, who spent the money on city business. Letter 96 is the most famous of the collection, and it contains the earliest external account of christian worship, and details what was to. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified.
The method you have pursued, my dear pliny, in sifting the cases of those denounced to you as cbristians is. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. His nephew pliny the younger gives an indication how devoted his uncle was to reading and studying, which was like working to him. Pliny book 10, letter 96 english translation vroma. 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 letters of book 10 are addressed to or from the emperor trajan. Pliny book 10, letter 97 english translation vroma. The last was written during his tour of administration of bithynia, during which he may well have died. Pliny the elder 2379 ce, tireless researcher and writer, is author of the encyclopedic natural history, in 37 books, an unrivaled compendium of roman knowledge. Pliny epistles 10 and imperial correspondence chapter 12. It is not possible to lay down any general rule which can be applied as the fixed standard in all cases of this nature.
623 1145 824 426 457 164 740 973 1237 700 1128 1496 1574 99 420 704 764 414 1460 790 1170 1034 600 998 1092 1062 741 391 41 1516 1329 866 1256 489 1049 1187 877 1286 62 294