Introduction:

LIFE:

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, better known as "Pliny the Younger," was born in 61-2 CE. He came from the town of Comum (Como) in Northern Italy, from a wealthy but rising family. His uncle, Pliny "the Elder," had been a friend and advisor of the emperor Vespasian. Pliny's own career is summed up in an inscription found in Comum, his home town. Here is a rough translation:

C. Plinius, son of Lucius, of the tribe Oufentina, surnamed Caecilius Secundus, consul, augur, pro-praetor of the province of Pontus and Bythinia, where he was sent with consular authority according to a decree of the senate by the emperor, Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus, father of his country; curator of the Tiber basin and drain commissioner of Rome, prefect of the Treasury of Saturn, prefect of the Military Treasury, praetor, tribune of the plebs, quaestor, member of the equestrian board of six, military tribune of the 3rd Legion ...

From this list we learn that Pliny was a member of the equestrian class who earned membership in the senate and its highest office, the consulship. Like Cicero, he was the first in his family to do so. What is striking about Pliny's resume is that most of the traditional offices in the cursus honorum (praetor, tribune, and quaestor) are listed after the apparently less glamorous posts of drain commissioner and state treasurer. This shows how much the times had changed in Rome. Whereas Cicero exercised his power through the old magistracies, Pliny made his mark as a bureaucrat in the imperial service; his senatorial rank and offices were a kind of formality. He was particularly skilled as an administrator, and for this reason he was appointed as the emperor's personal representative to Pontus and Bithynia in Asia Minor, with the job of "cleaning up" the province. We have several examples of his correspondence with the emperor regarding such problems as financial mismanageme nt, political corruption, and that weird new cult called "Christianity."

WORK:

Because politics had changed, literature also acquired a new character. Like Cicero, Pliny distinguished himself as an orator, letter-writer, and amateur poet. Apart from civil cases, however, there were few occasions for memorable speeches. The only speech of Pliny's which survives is a "panegyric," or tribute, to the emperor Trajan. Pliny's letters also lack the informal tone and political urgency of Cicero's, although they do give us an occasional glimpse of how the "inner circle" of imperial Rome got things done. Pliny's main object, however, was to produce a literary work, roughly akin to a modern collection of essays. He covers all sorts of topics, from politics to ghost stories to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and presents a wide variety of characters, from the "good" emperor Trajan to the slimy con-man, Regulus. In the following letters, we will get a sense of how a Roman aristocrat spent his day (1.9), what he looked for in a wi fe (4.19), and how he regarded his slaves (8.16).

Pliny intended these letters to be savored, so read them slowly (out loud, if possible) and notice the way he puts words and clauses together. Try also to get a sense of his personality by reading between the lines, as they say. Pay special attention to the letter about his "ideal" wife--it's a good indication of what the man himself was all about!

To read more of Pliny's work, consult Henry Walker's The Letters of Pliny the Younger, including both Latin texts and English translations. For tips on how to use Pliny in the intermediate-level Latin classroom, consult The Letters of Pliny the Younger by Greg Starikovsky.