Customer Reviews (8)

Great primary source to compare and contrast culture
Pliny the Younger (whether he knew it or not) painted quite a detailed picture of culture in his time, and it is quite exciting and entertaining to compare this culture with the cultures of today.

Excellent for Stoics
Pliny the Younger was a disciple of Musonius Rufus, the great Stoic teacher who taught Epictetus. Epictetus wrote discourses which influenced Emperor Marcus Aurelius. A reading of Pliny the Younger will shed light on Stoic thoughts.

Life from near the top during Rome's golden age
Pliny's self-selected letters comprise a fascinating bit of ancient autobiography, and should be of interest to a wide variety of readers.His descriptions of trials, and of his often slimy opposing counsel, will amuse modern attorneys.The letters between Pliny and the Emperor Trajan read much like modern e-mails between a CEO and a diligent corporate manager.I first read Pliny at the same time as the "Meditations" of Marcus Aurelius; the two books provide a striking contrast between two typically Roman world-views-- Pliny wanting nothing so much as posthumous fame, Aurelius musing on the vanity of all earthly pursuits given their utter meaninglessness after we turn to dust.

Ms. Radice's translation is smooth and enjoyable, retaining a certain air of distance given the source's antiquity but not becoming stilted or precious.

Wonderful
Having read the letters of Pliny in the original Latin, I picked up a copy of this book to enjoy at a lesiurely pace (and without the hassel of looking up every 15th word!). I could not have been more pleased with Radice's translation of the work. She brings his stories to life, while maintaining the nuances found in the Latin. Wonderful!!

Delightful re-acquaintance with the old Romans
In high school I was an eager student of Latin, and so having read Caesar, Sallustius, Livius and many other great authors in the original, I was under the impression of having a good background in Roman history. And so it came that I didn't read anything about this particular historical period in at least fifteen years. Pliny's letters made me realise how superficial and cliche-ridden my understanding of that epoch was. It seems that as a high school student one is focused on the language to such a degree that the broader outlines of the enveloping history simply recede into the background.

As a successful, professional lawyer, as a member of a respected family, patron of a vast network of clients, as an accomplished writer, a more or less efficient administrator and prosperous land owner, Pliny embodies the quintessence of the political and cultural elite in the imperial capital. His carefully groomed letters reveal a fascinating picture of the mature Empire. What emerges from this book is a panoramic picture of a world that is not even very different from our own. Admittedly, the summit of the societal pyramid in 2nd century Rome was populated by a much smaller and more select group of people compared to the upper middle class in the advanced economies of today. But apart from the numbers, the life style of these two groups seems to have a lot of things in common. Take geographical mobility as an example. Pliny was originally descendant from the Como area in Northern Italy. Obviously, most of his time was spent in the capital, where he had a villa at the shores of the Thyrannean Sea. Additionally, he had an estate in what is now Tuscany. Finally there was his wife's estate in Campania, which is pretty far down the heel of the Italian peninsula. Much the same as today's professional elite, and undettered by vastly more primitive means of transportation and communication, Pliny shuttles back and forth between his estates, hundreds of kilometers apart. I take this as anecdotal evidence of the fact that, irrespective of historical epoch, elites have always transcended geographical distance in exercising their professional and social obligations. And many other aspects of Pliny's professional and social life remind us of our life world today. In sum, I find the texture and 'feel' of this collection of letters decidedly modern.

Another aspect that filters through Pliny's correspondence is the fact that Rome could be a very dangerous place to live, at least for those in the spotlights of the political scene. The Empire can, perhaps, be best described as a 'quasi-totalitarian' state. A bit like the China of today, or worse. We now from Suetonius' account how damaging and dangerous the paranoia of individuals such as Domitian could be for whoever opposed them. Pliny confirms this through many of his more or less oblique references to Domitian's despotic reign of terror.

The final bundle of letters contains the correspondence with the emperor Trajan, whom Pliny obviously reveres. The insights into the workings of Rome's administrative machinery to govern such a vast empire, are fascinating. Ultimately, one is astonished by the patience and competence that this particular emperor brings to bear to the many and sometimes trivial issues that his man in the East requests his advice on. One would think that Trajan would have better things to do. This testifies of the impressive efficiency and robustness of Rome's governance apparatus.

This collection of letters is thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in studying the predicament of our own time through the distorting but fascinating mirror of the past. ... Read more

Book Description
'Gaius Pliny sends greetings to his friend Septicius Clarus...'In these letters to his friends and relations, Pliny provides a fascinating insight into Roman life in the period 97 to 112 AD.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. Pliny's letters cover a wide range of topics, from the contemporary political scene to domestic affairs, the educational system, the rituals and conduct of Roman religion, the treatment of slaves, and the phenomena of nature. He describes in vivid detail the eruption of Vesuvius which killed his uncle, and the daily routines of a well-to-do Roman in the courts, and at leisure, enjoying rural pursuits at his country estates.In the introduction to his lively and sympathetic new translation, P.G. Walsh examines the background to these often intimate and enthralling letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

O fortune, how you sport with us
Pliny's letters give an eminent impression of the life of a wealthy barrister at the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd one in the Roman Empire. He was also an honest civil servant of his country.

Pliny was a tolerant (`anyone who hates faults, hates mankind'), honest and loyal man. He loved liberty (which was regained in Rome with Trajan after the harsh dictatorship of Domitian) and profited as much as he could of his wealth, because `nothing is so short and fleeting as the longest of human lives'.
Politically he was a staunch defender of the state religion (he condemned Christians) and an opponent of secret ballot, because it lead to `wanton irresponsibilities'.
His view on mankind was rather pessimistic: `very few people are as scrupulously honest in secret as in public, and many are influenced by public opinion, but scarcely anyone by conscience.'
Also, he saw his country as a state, `which has long offered the same (or even greater) rewards to dishonesty and wickedness as it does to honor and merit, and `the prevailing habits of the day and the laws judge a man's income to be of primary importance.'
He understood the all importance of education.
As a big lover of literature (`no book so bad that some good could not be got out of it') he saw the greatness of his friend Cornelius Tacitus: `I believe that your histories will be immortal.'

Most of the letters are rather unimportant exhortations, recommendations, discussions about wills and legacies, or about the Roman bar, with barristers speeches of 5 hours, `sold counsel', fake lawsuits, `compulsion' pleading, `dinner-clappers' and `bravo-callers'.

This book is only for historians and lovers of classical literature.
... Read more

Book Description
Barry Moser's extraordinarily detailed and evocative relief engravings decorate this translation of Pliny the Younger's two famous letters to Tacitus about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and the death of his uncle, Pliny the Elder. Printed in black and white, the engravings are
works of art that illustrate various descriptions in the letters. The text includes a brief description of the eruption of the volcano, concise biographies of Tacitus and of both Plinys, and a summary of how the texts of the two letters have survived until today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Moving Art
Much of what we know about the A.D. 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius - the eruption that sealed Pompeii and Herculaneum in time and volcanic ash - comes from the letters written by Pliny the Younger to his friend Tacitus. Pliny was an eyewitness, and his uncle died in the eruption.<
These texts have been available for a long time. What is new and impressive about this book are its illustrations, relief engravings by artist Berry Moser, Professor in Residence in the Art Department of Smith College in Massachusetts.<
The letters are freshly translated by Benedicte Gilman, who has also provided biographies of Tacitus and Pliny the Younger, as well as an essay describing how it was that the letters themselves came to be preserved into modern times. This is solid, readable, exciting work in and of itself.<
But the real force in this book is the illustrations. Using a technique generally confined to wood engraving, Moser has given us a series of 16 vital illustrations that bring a terrible life to the horrible events of the eruption. As slim as it is, this volume is a literal "must have" for all lovers of art and history.
... Read more

Book Description
THIS 60 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius, by Samuel Dill. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766126811. ... Read more

Book Description

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 was educated at home and then in Rome under Quintilian. He was at Misenum at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 (described in two famous letters) when the Elder Pliny died.

Pliny started his career at the Roman bar at the age of eighteen. He moved through the regular offices in a senator's career, held two treasury appointments and a priesthood, and was consul in September and October 100. On this occasion he delivered the speech of thanks to the Emperor Trajan which he afterwards expanded and published as the Panegyricus. After his consulship he returned to advocacy in the court and Senate, and was also president of the Tiber Conservancy Board. His hopes of retirement were cut short when he was chosen by Trajan to go out to the province of Bithynia and Pontus on a special commission as the Emperor's direct representative. He is known to have been there two years, and is presumed to have died there before the end of 113. Book X of the Letters contains his correspondence with Trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early Christians.

Pliny's Letters are important as a social document of his times. They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his many friends, including Tacitus, Martial and Suetonius. 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.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Pliny the Younger is in two volumes; the first contains Books I-VII of his Letters and an Introduction.

Customer Reviews (4)

Needed for my research
This is not the sort of book that most readers would purchase for their coffee tables.However, for someone engaged in research who needs access to primary sources, the Loeb Classical Library is an indispensable tool.I'm working on a book that deals with the reign of Trajan, and Pliny's Panegyric to that emperor is crucial for understanding his policies, his desired public image, and his relationship with the Senate.This isn't the sort of volume that you generally find on the shelves at your local Waldenbooks, which is why I appreciate the convenience and prompt service of an Amazon order; even the most abstruse book can usually be on my doorstep in a few days.

Letters on Life
His actual name is Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus.Gotta love those Roman names.I bought all of Pliny's letters because they offer a terrific insight into daily life in ancient Rome.Plus they read so easily.The Loeb translation is by far the best.Reading these letters is like reading a letter you might write to someone today.His prose are translated with a modern twist, but true to form.Of course, the Loeb books also give you the original Latin text on one side of the sheet as well.Pliny wrote about the eruption of Vesuvius from a first hand account.He was on a boat and witnessed the eruption then wrote about it as it was happening.Very cool.Pliny wanted to create a distinctly different type of literature with these letters.They are individually based on events of the times, but without abstractions like many of the other letter writers of the time (namely Seneca).He was successfully able to do this by creating a picture of his times with his words.He writes about philosophy, slavery, Trajan, Rome, literature, the Senate, and all of his friends (namely Tacitus and Seutonius).All of which are very interesting and Loeb has arranged them in a way so they are easy to follow.This series of Pliny's letters culminates into Book X which are all of his letters to the emperor Trajan.Trajan had called upon Pliny to govern the province of Bithynia-Pontus.The letters are very important in understanding how Rome governed the provinces.They are also some of the earliest writings on Christianity in the provinces.

Letters on Life
His actual name is Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus.Gotta love those Roman names.I bought all of Pliny's letters because they offer a terrific insight into daily life in ancient Rome.Plus they read so easily.The Loeb translation is by far the best.Reading these letters is like reading a letter you might write to someone today.His prose are translated with a modern twist, but true to form.Of course, the Loeb books also give you the original Latin text on one side of the sheet as well.Pliny wrote about the eruption of Vesuvius from a first hand account.He was on a boat and witnessed the eruption then wrote about it as it was happening.Very cool.Pliny wanted to create a distinctly different type of literature with these letters.They are individually based on events of the times, but without abstractions like many of the other letter writers of the time (namely Seneca).He was successfully able to do this by creating a picture of his times with his words.He writes about philosophy, slavery, Trajan, Rome, literature, the Senate, and all of his friends (namely Tacitus and Seutonius).All of which are very interesting and Loeb has arranged them in a way so they are easy to follow.This series of Pliny's letters culminates into Book X which are all of his letters to the emperor Trajan.Trajan had called upon Pliny to govern the province of Bithynia-Pontus.The letters are very important in understanding how Rome governed the provinces.They are also some of the earliest writings on Christianity in the provinces.

A snapshot of Roman life
Pliny the Younger's letters offer a glimpse into the political and literay life of Rome at the height of her power.Included in the letters are two riveting accounts of the erruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and Pliny the Younger'scorrespondance with the likes of Suetonius and the Emperer Trajan.Abeautifully made book with both English and the original Latin. ... Read more

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Translated by William Melmoth Revised by F. C. T. Bosanquet ... Read more

Book Description
This book provides a new understanding of Pliny's letters by combining historical analysis of the social pressures that shape Pliny's authorial pose with close literary analysis of the letters themselves. It demonstrates how ruling-class ideology is disseminated and how it shapes the literary
persona and personal identity of a ruling-class member. The powerful heuristic tool of examining the interplay between confidence and anxieties in the letters will help restore Pliny's relatively neglected masterpiece to a more prominent place in undergraduate Latin and Roman Civilization
courses. ... Read more

Book Description