PLINY
(61 A.D.–113? A.D.)
Pliny the Younger was born in the year A.D. 61, at Como, Italy. Like most famous Roman writers whose works have come down to us, he was of high station. He accompanied his uncle, Pliny the Elder, when the latter was summoned to Rome by the Emperor Vespasian in A.D. 72, and devoted several years to the study of Roman and Greek literature under the best instructors.
After the death of his uncle, in 79, he made his appearance as an advocate, a profession in which he won great eminence. Ten years later he entered upon an official career of remarkable success, holding in succession most of the great offices of the Roman State, until in 111 he was selected by Trajan as Governor of Bithynia. His correspondence ceases in 113, and nothing is known of his life thereafter.
While moving in the highest circles, the intimate of Tacitus, Suetonius, Martial, and all of the senatorial class, he was distinguished by great conscientiousness and public spirit, endowing temples, baths, libraries, and schools. He was humane and even affectionate toward his slaves and courteous to his dependents.
He sought fame as a poet and orator, as well as letter-writer, but neither his "Panegyric on Trajan," nor the two sets of verses which alone have escaped the ravages of time, would indicate that the world is much the worse for the loss of the remainder of his orations and poems.
But in his "Letters" he conferred an inestimable boon on future ages. They are voluminous, in ten books, and covering almost every topic of the times, our most valuable commentary upon Roman life in the second century after Christ. They were undoubtedly written with a direct view to publication, for he is careful to confine each one to a single topic, and generally closes it with an epigrammatic point. But they are models of graceful thought and refined expression. Only twice is any one of whom an unfavorable opinion is expressed mentioned by name.
The tenth book, the "Correspondence with Trajan," is valuable for another reason—for the light it throws on early Christianity. It reflects the greatest credit on the strict and almost punctilious conscientiousness of Pliny, and on the assiduity and high principle which animated the Emperor.
THE MAN
1. What does Pliny the Elder say of the form of money used in early Rome? XI, 189.
2. To what class of society did Pliny the Younger belong?
3. Give a brief account of the death of his uncle.
4. What other author do you associate with the Lake of Como? I, 8, illustration.
5. What regular profession did Pliny follow during the earlier years of his life? The latter?
6. Locate Bithynia on the map. Also Lake Como. (See classical atlas.)
7. What authors were intimate associates of Pliny?
8. Enumerate the good points in his character.
STYLE AND WORKS
1. In what way does Pliny say we may add to the length of our lives? V, 71.
2. Are his writings confined to his "Letters"?
3. Of what special use are the "Letters" to us?
4. How do we know that Pliny wrote his letters with publication in mind?
5. What does he say of Phidias's attention to detail in his sculpture? VI, 359.
6. Why should his correspondence with Trajan be of special interest to us?
7. What do we glean from the correspondence as to the character of Trajan?
8. Compare his account of the destruction of Pompeii with that of Lytton. VIII, 285.
9. State what proficiency the Romans had attained in the art of landscape gardening.
10. What would you judge to have been the climate of Tuscany, from the allusion to plane, cypress, and other trees and plants mentioned?
11. What reason lay behind the persecution of the Christians? Do you think it was entirely religious?
12. What was the social condition of Rome at this time?
13. Did persecution lessen the number of adherents to Christianity?
14. What was Pliny's estimate of this religion?
15. Was Trajan a just ruler, if his short letter be taken as an indication of his character?
FOR REFERENCE
"Roman Life in Pliny's Time."—Pellison.
"Letters."—Ed. Bosanquet.
"Roads from Rome."—Allinson.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] These authors represent the transition from the Renaissance to Classicism.
[2] Josephus is a remarkable example of the authority and influence of Rome. He was a Jew, whose work might be classed as Hebrew and hence as Oriental literature, and likewise as Greek literature since he wrote in Greek. But he was educated at Rome and trained so thoroughly upon Roman ideas and thought that his writings must be included under this head.
[3] See Latin Lit., note.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
A section was inserted by the original printer between pages 54 and 55. The numbering of these pages, 54a to 54n, has been retained in the etext.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Footnote [1] is referenced multiple times from page 25.
Footnote [3] ("See Latin Lit., note") is in fact referencing Footnote [2].
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, death-bed, deathbed; Snow Image, Snow-Image; skilful; unexcelled; unreligious; unmoral; enigmatical.
Pg 8, 'Knights Templars' replaced by 'Knights Templar'.
Pg 24, 'inelegancies' replaced by 'inelegances'.
Pg 48, 'sublety' replaced by 'subtlety'.
Pg 54k, 'Dies Irae' replaced by 'Dies Iræ' for consistency.
Pg 135, '428-31' replaced by '428-431' for consistency.
Pg 147, 'impracticability' replaced by 'impracticality'.