Pliny the Younger: Correspondence with Trajan from Bithynia (Epistles X) (Aris & Phillips Classical Texts)

by Pliny the Younger, Wynne Williams

Pliny's letters sent to Trajan from Bithynia, and Trajan's
replies are the only surviving file of letters between a
provincial governor and his emperor. The edition makes this
record accessible to even those with no knowledge of Latin. To
this end the translation is as literal as is consistent with
English syntax and the notes on each exchange of letters analyse
the precise problem submitted by Pliny and the character of
Trajan's response, and explain the historical and legal
background to these problems. The General Introduction deals with
Pliny's official career, the province of Bithynia-Pontus, the
character of Roman provincial administration and Trajan's
personal contribution to the correspondence.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 112

About the author

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 AD – ca. 112 AD), better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to the eruption of Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD.

"You would have heard the wails of women, the shrieks of infants, shouts of men; some were seeking parents with their voices, others children, others spouses, and by their voices they were recognizing them; some were pitying their own misfortune, others the misfortune of their families; there were those who - due to the fear of death - were praying for death; many raised their hands toward the gods, more were concluding that there were no gods anywhere, and that this was the perpetual and final night for the world."

-Pliny the Younger, Letters, 16.20.14-15

Reviews

[John Isles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was constantly beside me as I completed the translation of all of Pliny the Younger's correspondence from Latin to English, together with colleagues on the LatinStudy list (described at https://www.quasillum.com/study/latin...). After an authoritative introduction, the book gives the Latin text, with on the facing page the editor's own English translation, which I found to be clear and accurate. This is followed by a detailed commentary, mainly on points of historical interest rather than Latin grammar. The volume begins with two full pages of errata; it's unfortunate that these were not corrected before printing, even though the book is not typeset and the text must at some point have existed in digital form.

Pliny has become a familiar friend as I studied first the nine books of his letters to many acquaintances, and then his correspondence with the Emperor (along with the latter's replies) while Pliny was governor of the province of Bithynia et Pontus in Asia Minor. His uncle Pliny the Elder was an even more prolific writer; his Natural History is an encyclopedic work that we're continuing to read on the LatinStudy list.