His uncle, the naturalist pliny the elder, was in charge of area warships, but he turned his fleet to rescuing residents and died. Qui igitur intra hos proximos decem annos damnati nec ullo idoneo auctore liberati sunt, hos oportebit poenae suae reddi. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in looking into our ancient past. He was at misenum at the time of the eruption of vesuvius in 79 described in two famous letters when the elder pliny died. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, usually known as pliny the younger, was born at como in 62 a. The letterwriting pliny the younger was stationed about 18 mi. My uncle, pliny the elder, died in a terrible incident which also left our region in ruins. Apr, 2019 the letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger my rating. Roman senator and writer, gaius plinius caecilius secundus otherwise known as pliny the younger, who was seventeen years old at the time of the eruption, had witnessed the vesuvius eruption of 79 ad from the home of his uncle in misenum and managed to write a very accurate account some 25 years later. He was with the fleet he was commanding at misenum bay of naples. Learn pliny letter with free interactive flashcards.
Pliny the youngers full name was gaius plinius caecilius secundus and he wrote two letters to historian tacitus with the purpose of his letters being to describe his uncle pliny the elders death. The comments at the bottom of the letters have been added from various sources. Dictionary of greek and roman geography 1854, vesuvius mons. Pliny s account of the eruption of vesuvius on the 24th of august 79 ad there was a massive volcanic eruption of mount vesuvius near naples. Mynors 1963, in the bibliotheca augustana pliny was born in comum in. Pliny to cornelius tacitus thank you for asking me to send you a description of my uncles death so that you can leave an accurate account of it for posterity1. With the background established, lets read the letters.
An eye witness to history pliny the younger live from 61ad to 112ad and his letters to cornelius tacitus are the most famous report of the mt. Firth 1900 a few words and phrases have been modified. Nov 10, 2019 the letter writing pliny the younger was stationed about 18 mi. Help finding copies of plinys letters about vesuvius. He was a friend of the historian tacitus and might have employed the biographer suetonius on his staff.
I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. This account is by pliny the younger, a lawyer and author of the only lasting account of the events on that day. This was the disaster that buried pompeii, herculaneum, and other sites. Im looking for full texts of pliny the youngers descriptions of the eruption of vesuvius. Gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 c. This custom, however, of anointing themselves, is inveighed against by the satirists as in the number of their luxurious indulgences. Thank you for asking me to send you a description of my uncles death so that you can leave an accurate account of it for posterity1. Pliny may have referred to mimiambi a form of verse written by herodas rather than to iambics. A strange cloud this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. This volcanic eruption is the first to be described in detail. The real pompeii movie plinys letter to tacitus in latin.
Pliny also came into contact with other wellknown men of the period, including the philosophers artemidorus and euphrates the stoic, during his time in syria. Lets hope that our talking about him will immortalize him. The destruction of pompeii ad 79, as written by pliny. Pliny rose through a series of civil and military offices, the cursus honorum. From this piece of writing from pliny s letter he describes the events leading up to his uncles death, including the eruption of mt vesuvius. They were there when vesuvius began its 18hour eruption on august 24, 79 a. Roman senator and writer, gaius plinius caecilius secundus otherwise known as pliny the younger, who was seventeen years old at the time of the eruption, had witnessed the vesuvius eruption of 79 ad from the home of his uncle in misenum and managed to write a very. A few years after the event, pliny wrote a friend, cornelius tacitus, describing the happenings of late august 79 ad when the eruption of vesuvius obliterated pompeii, killed his uncle and almost destroyed his family. It is clear that from at least in the afternoon the sun had been out and the sky had not yet been darkened by the eruption as pliny the elder had had a. Plinys uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to the eruption of vesuvius on 24 august 79 ad. Tacitus in plinys letters dickinson college commentaries. Pliny explains the reasons for writing this letter.
Jan 15, 2019 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. Pliny tells tacitus at his request the story of his own escape from the. The collection includes his wellknown letters about the eruption of vesuvius 6. Gaius plinius secundus ad 232479, called pliny the elder. Pliny s uncle, pliny the elder, helped raise and educate him. The real pompeii movie plinys letter to tacitus in latin youtube. The first letter describes the journey of his uncle pliny the elder during which he perished. Vesuvius is an italian volcano that erupted on august 24, 79 ce, blanketing the towns and s of residents of pompeii, stabiae, and herculaneum. Vesuvius this is an english translation of the two letters written by pliny the younger to the roman historian tacitus. This is an english translation of the two letters written by pliny the younger to the roman historian tacitus. The younger pliny was born in 61 or 62 ce, the son of lucius caecilius of comum como and the elder plinys sister. Pliny the younger describing mt vesuvius eruption in 79ad. Vesuvius in ad 79the disaster that buried pompeii, herculaneum, and other sites.
Full text of the letters of pliny the younger see other formats. The explosion was so large that the whole top of the mountain literally blew off. You would have heard the wails of women, the shrieks of infants, shouts gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born gaius caecilius or gaius caecilius cilo 61 ad ca. 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. Years later, plinys friend the historian, cornelius tactitus. Choose from 500 different sets of letter latin pliny flashcards on quizlet. Pliny the youngers letters were discovered in the 16th century. New pompeii graffiti may rewrite history in a major way source. Their ultimate source is a fragmentary inscription cil v 1 3442 found in a. Greek and roman materials latin prose latin texts pliny the younger. Neither the younger nor the elder pliny mention the names. A few years after the event, pliny wrote a friend, cornelius tacitus, describing the happenings of late august 79 ad when the eruption of vesuvius obliterated pompeii, killed his.
The longestablished penguin the letters of pliny the younger was translated by betty radice, who also edited the latin text for the. Tacitus description of the eruption of vesuvius and the death of pliny the elder would have been in the part of his histories that does not survive. Erit autem vel hoc maxime corrigendum, quod qui damnati ad poenam erant, non modo ea sine auctore, ut scribis, liberati sunt, sed etiam in condicionem 2 proborum ministrorum retrahuntur. The letters of the younger pliny by pliny the younger my rating. Aug 24, 2008 witness to the eruption of vesuvius on august 24th, 79 ad this canadian series was made in 1976 understanding the earth by tv ontario. 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.
A cloud, from which mountain was uncertain, at this distance but it was found afterwards to come from mount vesuvius, was ascending, the appearance of which i cannot give you a more exact description of than by likening it to that of a pinetree, for it shot up to a great height in the form. It is clear that from at least in the afternoon the sun had been out and the sky had not yet been darkened by the eruption as pliny the elder had had a sunbath. This series was part of a extension course at laurentian, i. 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. The route taken by pliny the elder in his rescue mission during the eruption. The loeb classical library edition of pliny the younger is in two volumes. During the eruption of vesuvius in 79 ad, which completely buried pompeii and herculaneum, pliny the younger described the tragedy in two letters sent to tacitus pompeii tours guided tours in pompeii archaeologist in pompeii pompeii ruins. Pliny the elder was praefectus classi, praefect of the fleet, appointed by the emperor and holding imperium. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3.
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. 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. The story of pliny the elders death in the eruption of vesuvius. He was educated at home and then in rome under quintilian.
This post begins a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. He left a collection of letters which offers intimate glimpses into public and private life during the roman empire. With the current events at mount etna, i thought itd be interesting to share this account of the destruction of pompeii by mt vesuvius in ad 79. The real pompeii pliny s letter to tacitus in latin you source. Pliny the younger the eruption of vesuvius letter 6. English translation follows in roman text, indented, and then. Pliny the younger was a 17 year old boy at the time of the eruption, who was educated by his uncle pliny the elder. Tacitus asks pliny to help julius nasos candidature. Learn letter latin pliny with free interactive flashcards.
He wrote the encyclopedic naturalis historia natural history, which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. A reenactment of plinys famous letter to tacitus in which he describes the eruption of mt. Pliny, who was only seventeen at the time of the eruption, was living with his mother and his uncle in the north of the bay of naples. From this piece of writing from plinys letter he describes the events leading up to his uncles death, including the eruption of mt vesuvius. Pliny says the story will be immortalized by tacitus. The second one describes his own observations in a town across the bay. See key to translations for an explanation of the format. Epistulae vi 16 20 pliny the younger ancient rome vesuvius erupts pompeii the big bang letters of pliny the younger 4 vols logos software pliny the younger. When he was 18 years old, pliny the younger and his mother were living at his uncles villa in misenum. Choose from 465 different sets of pliny letter flashcards on quizlet.
Pompeii was buried 10 deep, while herculaneum was buried under 75 of ash. Jun 12, 2017 a reenactment of pliny s famous letter to tacitus in which he describes the eruption of mt. This begins a series of posts that will translate and comment upon pliny the youngers two letters 6. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Letters of pliny, by gaius plinius caecilius secundus. Plinys dates are pinned to the eruption of mount vesuvius in ad 79 and a statement of his nephew that he died in his 56th year, which would put his birth in ad 23 or 24 pliny was the son of an equestrian gaius plinius celer and his wife marcella.
Pliny the younger, latin in full gaius plinius caecilius secundus, born 6162 ce, comum italydied c. 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. The destruction of pompeii ad 79, as written by pliny the. 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.
Tacitus has asked for it in order that he may give a true account to posterity. These posts are part of a book project that intends to understand the scholarly and popular reception of those letters. The destruction of pompeii, 79 ad eyewitness to history. The historians request this post belongs to a serialized translation and commentary of pliny the youngers letters 6. The two letters written by pliny the younger describing. Pliny the younger was living with his uncle and his mother at cape misenum in the bay of naples during the time in which the eruption occurred. Plinys account of the eruption of vesuvius on the 24th of august 79 ad there was a massive volcanic eruption of mount vesuvius near naples. Especially noteworthy among the letters are two in which he describes the eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 during which his uncle pliny the elder died. The letters of pliny the younger gaius plinius caecilius secundus are presented here in the english translation by j. Pliny the younger wrote hundreds of letters, of which 247 survive and are of great historical value.