I was introduced to this book via the in our times bbc podcast. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. I ordered it immediately after finishing the podcast, but i am a nerd, so ymmv. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3.
Letters and panegyricus i, books 17 loeb classical library volume i only 7 left in stock more on the way. Sometime between 1495 and 1500 giovanni giocondo discovered a manuscript in paris of plinys tenth book of letters, containing his correspondence with trajan, and published it in paris, dedicating the work to louis xii. If youre even the least bit curious about the natural history, give it a listen. 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. I have made such a collection, but without preserving the order in which they were composed, as i was not writing a historical narrative. Pliny the younger has 144 books on goodreads with 6474 ratings. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.
Pliny s is an organic work, as shakespeares crowded plays or montaignes essays are organic. The letters of the younger pliny, first series volume 1 by. Read complete letters by pliny the younger available from rakuten kobo. The letters of the younger pliny the letters of pliny the. The letters of pliny the younger, vol 1 by pliny the younger. Aurelius symmachus were published in a form like pliny s, nine books of private and one of official letters. The guinness is a compilation of isolated and insipid facts. Pliny s letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in. Chapter 1 traces pliny s autobiographical narrative throughout the letters. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Pliny the youngers most popular book is the letters of the younger pliny. Ad 611 was also a prolific letterwriter, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus. 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. I have read it two or three times and always notice something new of interest in the letters. Literature was taken much more seriously in the time of the emperor claudius. The numbering of the letters in this book has been changed slightly to bring it into line with the most recent editions. Pliny the younger books list of books by author pliny. For habit itself causes servants to lose theii 4 plinys letters.
The letters of pliny the younger audiobook by john b. Buy a cheap copy of the letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Pliny s uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him. Click on the l symbols to go the latin text of each letter. 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. Pliny s letters are important as a social document of his times. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. In chapter one 935, gibson 1 examines book one for plinys strategies of shaping biographical material to fit the larger thematic emphases of this opening book.
The first work of his was a treatise in one volume, on the use of the dart by cavalry. Roman literary life book 1, letter 1 pliny has accepited his friends advice and collected some of his letters for publication. His letters are arranged in ten books, of which the tenth consists entirely of letters to and from the emperor trajan. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. 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 comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. We have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor trajan on a variety of administrative political matters. 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. 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. They are the worlds oldest sources of the information on how gardens were used in the ancient world and the considerations that went into their. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. In short, the letters of pliny the younger give us a picture of social life as it was in the closing years of the first, and the opening years of the second century of the christian era, which is as fascinating as it is absolutely unique. 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. His nine books of personal letters were selected by pliny himself and published during his lifetime, while his official correspondence with trajan was published as a tenth book after his death and contains a celebrated exchange of letters on the early christians.
The project gutenberg ebook of letters of pliny, by pliny this ebook is for the use. Pliny s letters provide a fascinating insight into roman life in the period 97 to 112 ad. Those that give details of plinys life at his country villas are important documents in the history of garden design. The letters which flowed between trajan and pliny in the last decade of his life form book x and are a remarkable glimpse into the relationship an emperor would have with an imperial magistrate. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial and suetonius. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Chronologically, it is suggested that books 1 to 3 were written.
Book 1, letter 3 pliny is shocked that the people walk out in the middle of recitations. Introduction of pliny s 1 imply that these two people, at any rate, knew his work before symmachus and sidonius. Plinys letters are important as a social document of his times. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian. With an english translation by william melmoth, rev. The letters, on which today his fame mainly rests, were largely written with a view to publication, and were arranged by pliny himself. Like any great work in human history from plato to galileo, from dante to stephen hawkings pliny s natural history is, first of all, a work of imagination. The letters are particularly well known because they touch upon key topics of the time. 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.
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. See all books authored by pliny the younger, including the letters of the younger pliny, and the historians of ancient rome, and more on. 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. 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.
A sixthcentury fragment of the letters of pliny the younger a study of six leaves of an uncial manuscript preserved in the pierpont morgan library new york. You have frequently pressed me to make a select collection of my letters if there be any which show some literary finish and give tbem to the public. The letters of the younger pliny book by pliny the younger. Pliny in this letter internet history sourcebooks fordham university. The origin of christianity in that region is not known, but it has not been associated with paul the apostles travels. Pliny has a gift for description and a versatile prose style, and. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder pliny s sister. Gaius plinius secundus ad 232479, called pliny the elder.
Pliny describes the simple meal his friend would have enjoyed if he had decided to spend the evening at. Book x of the letters contains his correspondence with trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early christians. Pliny the younger wrote missives on anything from gossip about a recent dinner party to front page politics in first century ad, but perhaps the most fascinating letter included in this. He is known to have been there two years, and is presumed to have died there before the end of 1. Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of book 6 as an artistic entity. It is true that he confessed his guilt, but it is an open question whether he did so because he was guilty or. The time after pliny s treasury posts and consulship and his important cases in the senate would certainly seem more likely for him to be free to give meticulous attention to the task of selection and revision. Letters of pliny by pliny the younger full audio book great. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including tacitus, martial, and suetonius. Pliny mentions with some amusement the greek tragedy he wrote at the age of fourteen, 1 and he was proud of his facility in writing hexameters and elegiacs, but the examples he quotes of these are embarrassingly banal. Pliny the younger was governor of pontusbithynia from 1111 ad.
Pliny likely wrote the letters from amisus before his term ended in january 1. The letters of the younger pliny, first series volume 1 by the younger pliny free ebook project gutenberg. Letters, i, books 1 7 loeb classical library pliny the younger. The letters are promoted as hospitable to narrative reading but crying out for attentive rereading. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value. Complete letters ebook by pliny the younger rakuten kobo. You have constantly urged me to collect and publish the more highly finished of the letters that i may have written. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. He left a collection of letters which offers intimate glimpses into public and private life during the roman empire 1.
May 01, 2002 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. 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. 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. You have frequently pressed me to make a select collection of my letters if there be any which show some. 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. This final book was, significantly, not intended for publication. Ad 611 was also a prolific letter writer, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as tacitus. Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. The first incomplete edition of plinys epistles was published in italy in 1471. The nook book ebook of the pliny s letters, books 1 and 2.