Pliny the Younger
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Pliny the Younger (full name: Gaius Pliny Caecilius Secundus; lat. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus ) (approximately -) - an ancient Roman politician and writer, lawyer.

Biography

Pliny proved himself well and passed the entire course of state magistracies ( curosus honorum): In 81, he was appointed priest of the cult of the emperor, in the city - a military tribune in Syria, in 83 - the head of the cavalry, in - quaestor, in - praetor, in - prefect of the military treasury. Pliny held all these posts during the reign of Domitian, and only the death of the princeps saved him from execution by denunciation. Under the emperor Nerva, he was appointed prefect of the Saturn treasury.

Russian translations:

• Word of praise to the Emperor Trajan, spoken by the Roman Consul Caius Pliny Caecilius II. / Per. A. Nartova. St. Petersburg, .
• Praise to Emperor Trajan. / Per. I. Tolmacheva. St. Petersburg, 1820.
• Correspondence the younger Pliny with Emperor Trajan. St. Petersburg, 1863.
• Pliny the Younger. Correspondence with Trajan. / Per. V. S. Sokolova. // VDI. 1946. No. 2.
• Letters Pliny the Younger/ Per. M. E. Sergeenko (books I-VI, X), A. I. Dovatura (books VII-IX), V. S. Sokolov ("Panegyric to Trajan") 1st ed. M.-L., .
• Letters of Pliny the Younger: Books I-X = Plini Secvndi Epistvlarvm: Libri I-X / Edition prepared by M. E. Sergeenko, A. I. Dovatur; Rep. ed. A. I. Dovatur (†); USSR Academy of Sciences. - Ed. 2nd, revised. - M .: Nauka, 1982. - 408 p. - (Literary monuments). - 50,000 copies.(in trans.)

Other translations:

• In the Loeb classical library series, the letters and the Panegyric were published in 2 volumes (No. 55, 59).
• In the "Collection Budé" series, letters and "Eulogy" in 4 volumes (published in 2009).

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Literature

Research:

• Modestov V.I.,. Pliny the Younger // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Opatsky S. F. Pliny the Younger, literary figure of the times of Nerva and Trajan. - Warsaw, 1878. 275 p.
• Sokolov V.S. Pliny the Younger: An Essay on the History of Roman Culture in the Time of the Empire. - M.: Publishing house of Moscow State University. 1956. 355 p.

Notes

Links

• . M., Nauka, 1983.
• in the library of Maxim Moshkov
• in "Encyclopedia" Around the World ""

An excerpt characterizing Pliny the Younger

“But we don’t know what their names are!” I whispered.
Leah, what are you doing here? – sounded already male voice.
- I'm looking for you, daddy. - Stella mentally answered in Leah's voice.
– How did you get here? I asked.
“Surely, just like you ...” was the quiet answer. – We were walking along the shore of the lake, and did not see that there was some kind of “failure” ... So we fell there. And there this beast was waiting... What are we going to do?
- Leave. I tried to answer as calmly as possible.
– And the rest? Do you want to leave them all? Stella whispered.
“No, of course I don’t! But how are you going to get them out of here?
Then some strange, round hole opened and a viscous, red light blinded his eyes. Head squeezed with ticks and deathly wanted to sleep ...
- Hold on! Just don't sleep! Stella screamed. And I realized that it had some kind of strong effect on us. Apparently, this terrible creature needed us completely weak-willed so that he could freely perform some kind of his own “ritual”.
“We can’t do anything ...” Stella muttered to herself. - Well, why doesn't it work? ..
And I thought she was absolutely right. We were both just kids who, without thinking, embarked on very life-threatening journeys, and now did not know how to get out of it all.
Suddenly Stella took off our superimposed "images" and we again became ourselves.
- Oh, where is mom? Who are you?... What did you do to your mother?! the boy hissed indignantly. "Get her back immediately!"
I really liked his fighting spirit, bearing in mind the hopelessness of our situation.
“The thing is, your mother wasn’t here,” Stella whispered softly. - We met your mother where you "fell" here from. They are very worried about you, because they cannot find you, so we offered to help. But, as you can see, we weren't careful enough, and ended up in the same terrible situation...
– How long have you been here? Do you know what they will do to us? I asked quietly, trying to speak confidently.
- We recently ... He always brings new people, and sometimes small animals, and then they disappear, and he brings new ones.
I looked at Stella in horror.
- This is the real one. real world, and a very real danger!.. This is no longer the innocent beauty that we created!.. What are we going to do?
- Leave. - Again stubbornly repeated the baby.
We can try, can't we? Yes, and grandmother will not leave us if it is really dangerous. Apparently, we can still get out on our own if she doesn't come. Don't worry, she won't leave us.
I would like her confidence! .. Although usually I was far from shy, but this situation made me very nervous, because there were not only us, but also those for whom we came to this horror. And how to get out of this nightmare - I, unfortunately, did not know.
- There is no time here, but it usually comes at the same interval, approximately as there were days on earth. - Suddenly the boy answered my thoughts.
– Has it already been today? - Stella asked, obviously delighted.
The little girl nodded.
- Well, let's go? - she looked at me carefully and I realized that she was asking to “put on” my “protection” on them.
Stella was the first to stick her red head out...
- Nobody! she rejoiced. - Wow, what a horror! ..
Of course, I could not stand it and climbed after her. There really was a real “nightmare” there!.. Next to our strange “place of confinement”, in a completely incomprehensible way, human beings hung upside down in “bundles” ... They were hung by their legs, and created, as it were, an inverted bouquet .
We got closer - none of the people showed signs of life ...
- They are completely "pumped out"! Stella was horrified. “They didn’t even have a drop of vitality left! .. That’s it, let’s run away !!!
We rushed as fast as we could, somewhere to the side, absolutely not knowing where we were running, just to get away from all this blood-freezing horror ... Without even thinking that we could again fall into the same, or the same even worse, damn...
It suddenly got dark. Blue-black clouds rushed across the sky, as if driven by a strong wind, although there was no wind yet. In the depths of the black clouds dazzling lightning flashed, the peaks of the mountains blazed with a red glow... Sometimes swollen clouds were torn apart by evil peaks and dark brown water flowed from them like a waterfall. All this scary picture reminded me of the most terrible of the terrible, a nightmare ....
- Daddy, darling, I'm so scared! - the little boy squealed thinly, forgetting his former militancy.
Suddenly one of the clouds “broke”, and a dazzling bright light. And in this light, in a sparkling cocoon, the figure of a very thin young man, with a face as sharp as a knife blade, was approaching. Everything around him shone and glowed, black clouds “melted” from this light, turning into dirty, black shreds.
- Blimey! Stella screamed happily. - How does he do it?
- Do you know him? I was indescribably surprised, but Stella shook her head negatively.
The young man sank down next to us on the ground and with a gentle smile asked:
- Why are you here? This is not your place.
“We know, we were just trying to get to the top!” - the joyful Stella was already chirping all over. – Will you help us get back upstairs?.. We definitely need to get home faster! And then our grandmothers are waiting for us there, and here they are also waiting, but others.
The young man, meanwhile, for some reason, looked at me very carefully and seriously. He had a strange, piercing look, from which for some reason I felt embarrassed.
What are you doing here, girl? he asked softly. – How did you manage to get here?
- We were just walking. - I answered honestly. And so they were looking for. - Smiling at the "foundlings", she pointed at them with her hand.
"But you're alive, aren't you?" – could not calm down the savior.
Yes, but I've been here many times before. I answered calmly.
- Oh, not here, but "above"! laughing, my girlfriend corrected me. “We definitely wouldn’t come back here, would we?”
“Yes, I think this will be enough for a long time ... In any case, to me ...” I was already shivering from recent memories.
“You must get out of here. - Again, softly, but more insistently said the young man. - Now.
A sparkling "path" stretched out from him and ran straight into a luminous tunnel. We were literally drawn in without even taking a step, and after a moment we found ourselves in the same transparent world in which we found our round Leah and her mother.
Mom, Mom, Dad is back! And Great too!.. - little Leah rolled head over heels towards us, tightly clutching the red dragon to her chest. neck, squealing with delight.
I was happy for this family that found each other, and a little sad for all my dead “guests” who came to earth for help, who could no longer hug each other as joyfully, since they did not belong to the same worlds .. .
- Oh, daddy, here you are! And I thought you were gone! And you took and found! That's good, how! - the radiant girl squealed with happiness.
Suddenly, a cloud flew over her happy face, and it became very sad ... And in a completely different voice, the baby turned to Stella:
Dear girls, thank you for your dad! And for my brother, of course! Are you going to leave now? And when will you be back? Here is your dragon, please! He was very good, and he loved me very, very much ... - it seemed that right now poor Leah would burst into tears, so much she wanted to hold at least a little more of this cute marvelous dragon! .. And they were about to take him away and there will be no more...
Do you want him to stay with you? And when we get back, will you give it back to us? - Stella took pity on the baby.
At first, Leah was stunned by the happiness that suddenly fell on her, and then, unable to say anything, she nodded her head so strongly that she almost threatened to fall off ...
Saying goodbye to the joyful family, we moved on.
It was indescribably pleasant to feel safe again, to see the same joyful light flooding everything around, and not be afraid to be unexpectedly captured by some terrible, nightmarish horror movie ...

17 years old, studied eloquence with Quintiliana, completed his education by studying philosophy, then devoted himself to public service. It was under the emperor Domitians. One of the insidious scammers raised an accusation against Pliny that put his life in great danger, but murder of Domitian saved him. Pliny the Younger earned the favor of the emperor Trajan, who made him consul, and two years later appointed him ruler of Bithynia. He was a man of good fortune, very educated, had a noble character, remained pure from the prevailing vices, used his power and the confidence of the emperor in order to benefit society, to avert evil whenever possible. His compassion and humanity extended even to the not free people on his estates; but he was far inferior to his friend Tacitus firmness of character, love of freedom and in general did not have the civic prowess of the old time.

“Happiness was very favorable to Gaius Pliny the Younger,” says the scientist Bernhardi. - Powerful people and the emperor himself were disposed towards him; he had good friends, loved and often had the opportunity to serve them, was rich, was happy in both his first and second marriages; His life was calm and full of joys. In a word, he was noble socialite who tried to live in peace; he did not understand the deep ailments of his time. Imitating Cicero, he liked to use hours of pleasant leisure for correspondence with friends. The delicate, graceful tone of the letters of Pliny the Younger gives a high concept of the education of that time. They belong to the best monuments of the Silver Age of Roman literature; but by the artificiality and embellishment of their elegance, by the courtly character of their thoughts, we see that then the time for free, courageous mental activity had already passed.

Pliny tries hard to imitate Cicero in his letters. Comparing these imitations with models, we clearly see how great was the change created in the minds of the people by the monarchical order, in which one sovereign commands, and all others obey his orders. But the tone of each letter of Pliny the Younger already shows what position in society the person to whom he writes occupies. Conditional polishing has replaced naturalness, the elegant tone of humanity is a sign of education, Pliny and Cicero are similar only in one thing - in vanity and in the naive complacency with which it manifested itself in them. Self-praise dominates and spoils the impression made by the words of Pliny, so that the most beautiful thoughts of his letters leave us cold.

The letters of Pliny the Younger were collected by him. They are divided into 10 books. The last book is his correspondence with Trajan. He sends reports to the emperor, asks for his decisions; Trajan answers questions. This correspondence gives us a clear idea of ​​the then administration Roman Empire, about the complete dependence of everything in the state on the will of the almighty emperor. The other nine books contain Gaius Pliny's letters to friends. They give us a lot of information about the domestic and social life of Rome, about legal proceedings, administration, and science. They contain many characteristics of wonderful people, many descriptions of localities, villas. There are stories about physical events, there are anecdotes from public life.

Monument to Pliny the Younger in his homeland, in Italian Como

With careful finishing, Pliny the Younger gave his letters a very elegant form. Many of them can be called exemplary for the delicacy and grace of tone. There are often excellent notes on the people and manners of the time. Very many letters are attractive for their benevolence, nobility of thoughts, moral purity, so that the author deserves the glory of one of the kindest and noblest people among ancient writers. But in Pliny the Younger, the desire to express himself beautifully, the love for antitheses, which are sometimes strained, the pursuit of witty, brilliant turns of words, are too noticeable.

Pliny the Younger was famous as an orator, but only one of his speeches has come down to us - the Panegyric to Trajan, which he delivered in the Senate in 100 to express gratitude to Trajan for receiving consulates, and then reworked and increased in volume. This work suffers from the same shortcomings as letters, but even more than they do: the artificiality of the style, the pursuit of brilliant turns, sonorous expressions is brought here to an extreme. In addition, the Panegyric is stretched out with rhetorical verbosity, the desire for picturesque pictures and is filled with courtly flattery.

In one of his letters, Pliny the Younger says that he wanted to give guidance to sovereigns in the Panegyric: “Teaching the sovereign what he should be is a wonderful task, but difficult, so taking it on is too proud. But praising an excellent sovereign and praising him is like putting a light on high for his successors, so that they go to this light - a useful and not proud thing. Since the time of Pliny, panegyrics to sovereigns have become fashionable. Imitation suffers from all the shortcomings of the model, without having its merits. It became the custom that on the feasts of the ordinary calendar, and at celebrations on special occasions, a famous Roman orator or high dignitary delivered a panegyric before the emperor, showering him with every vulgar flattery that one could think of. Two such panegyrics have come down to us. The author of one, the Gallic orator Claudius Mamertinus, praises the emperors Maximina And Diocletian, and in another rhetoric Eumenius - Constance Chlorine. Both of them do not know the measure of praise, they compare the sovereigns they exalt with heroes and with gods; both seem to regard servility as the highest of all virtues.

full name: Gaius Pliny Caecilius Secundus; lat. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus

ancient Roman politician and writer, lawyer

short biography

(full name - Gaius Pliny Caecilius Secundus) - Roman writer, statesman - was born in the city of Comum (modern Italian Como) in 61 or 62. He became the successor of the family in a wealthy patrician family. Lucius Caecilius Cylon, his father, was an important official in the local municipality, his mother was the sister of Pliny the Elder, a well-known statesman and public figure.

Pliny the Younger grew up in an atmosphere of traditional political views, characteristic of the opposition of the Senate. His father died early, and he was adopted by his uncle, Pliny the Elder, who made sure that his adopted son received an excellent education. Among Pliny's mentors was the well-known political and military leader Virginius Rufus, who several times rejected the imperial title, which was proposed to be given to his soldiers.

At the beginning of 70, Pliny the Younger moved to Rome, where he studied at the rhetorical school with the teachers Quintilian and Niket Skodra. At the age of 18 or 19, he first joined the practice of law. Pliny the Younger passed full course state magistracy, at each stage he has proven himself from the best side. His career was fast-paced and successful. So, in 81 Pliny was a priest of the cult of the emperor, in 82 he was a Syrian military tribune, in 83 he was the head of the imperial cavalry, in 89 he was a quaestor, in 92 he was a praetor, in 94 he was a prefect of the treasury army.

However, not everything turned out brilliantly: because of the denunciation, he was almost executed, which he avoided thanks to the death of the princeps. During the reign of the emperor Nerva, Pliny the Younger was appointed prefect of the Saturnian treasury. The next emperor, Trajan, made the young politician his close associate. In 100, he was appointed to the post of consul, in 103 he was elected to the auguriat college, in 110 Pliny the Younger - ambassador for special assignments, imperial legate. He was also the caretaker of the Tiber.

With all his employment in the public arena, Pliny practiced as a lawyer almost all his life, participated in court hearings. His biography is mostly connected with Rome, however, Pliny never forgot about his native town, became his patron, allocated a lot of funds for development. In particular, a library was built in Komum only with his money. It is known that he owned several villas, and two of them, located near his homeland, are still trying to restore, using the descriptions of their owner himself.

During the performance of one of the tasks of the emperor in the province of Bithynia, associated with the eradication of corruption, Pliny died suddenly, and it is not known exactly when he died and where he found his last refuge.

In history, the name of Pliny the Younger remained thanks not to him, albeit brilliant, state activity, but to letters that made up a whole ten-volume book, as well as the Panegyric in honor of Emperor Trajan. These letters represent a unique and valuable source of knowledge for future generations about the era of the Roman Empire. Here you can find materials related to history, culture, economy, life, portraits of the author's contemporaries. In addition, his letters have become classics of the epistolary genre of their historical period.

Biography from Wikipedia

(full name: Gaius Pliny Caecilius Secundus; lat. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus) (approximately 61-113) - ancient Roman politician and writer, lawyer.

Born in 61 or 62 in the city of Como in rich family. Father - Lucius Caecilius Cylon held an important position in the municipality, mother - Pliny, was the sister of Pliny the Elder - a famous antique statesman and author of the encyclopedic Natural History. Pliny lost his father early and was adopted by his uncle, who gave him an excellent education. Also, Pliny's teacher was Virginius Rufus, an ancient Roman military and political leader who several times refused the title of emperor offered to him by soldiers.

In the early 70s, Pliny the Younger moved to Rome, where he studied eloquence at the rhetorical school under the guidance of Quintilian and Niketas Scodra. At the age of 18 or 19, he first took up advocacy in the court of centumvirs.

Pliny proved himself well and passed the entire course of state magistracies ( curosus honorum): In 81, he was appointed a priest of the cult of the emperor, in 82 - a military tribune in Syria, in 83 - the head of the cavalry, in 89 - a quaestor, in 92 - a praetor, in 94 - a prefect of the military treasury. All these posts were held by Pliny during the reign of Domitian, and only the death of the princeps saved him from execution by denunciation. Under the emperor Nerva, he was appointed prefect of the Saturn treasury.

Emperor Trajan included Pliny in the circle of his associates. In 100, Pliny was appointed consul, in 103 he was elected to the augurate college.

He held the responsible position of the caretaker of the Tiber ( superintendents). Until recently, he did not leave the practice of law and participated in the provincial courts. Being married three times (there are letters addressed to his last wife, Calpurnia), he had no children. He was the owner of several villas in Italy, including two - not far from his hometown Como with the names "Tragedy" and "Comedy". Until now, attempts are being made to reconstruct these villas according to the descriptions of Pliny himself. Most of the time spent in Rome, Pliny did not forget about the inhabitants of Como, was the patron of this city and donated a lot of money for its development. At his expense, a library was built in Como.

In 110, Pliny was appointed imperial legate to the province of Bithynia with the responsible task of eradicating corruption, but died there suddenly. The exact date of Pliny's death and the place of burial are unknown.

Pliny's letters

Between 97 and 109 Pliny published 9 books of his letters. All of them have survived to our time, and are examples of the epistolary genre. The letters are addressed different people: with someone Pliny shares everyday worries, with someone he talks about poetry, with someone he discusses political events. Pliny's letters are an indispensable source of information about the life and structure of the Roman Empire during the times of Domitian, Trajan and Nerva.

In his letters to Tacitus, Pliny talks about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79, which he witnessed (Letters, VI-16, VI-20). He describes a huge cloud rising over the crater of a volcano, a hail of ash and stones, and an earthquake that led to a tsunami. Pliny describes the death of his uncle, who hastened to investigate this natural phenomenon. At first he went there with the squadron, which he then commanded, but then went ashore, where "he caught his breath from the thick fumes and closed his windpipe."

The tenth volume of Pliny's letters contains his correspondence with the emperor Trajan, with whom he was in a trusting relationship. Pliny consults with the princeps on business in Bithynia, reports on the facts of corruption. Also, Pliny's letters to Trajan contain one of the earliest references (from 05/26/2013 - history, copy) about Christians. Pliny talks about some of the Christian rites, about the steadfastness with which Christians defended their religion and did not want to honor the cult of the emperor. Pliny doubts whether he should be guided by anonymous denunciations to accuse Christians, and asks the emperor for advice. Trajan justifies his approach and advises not to pay attention to denunciations.

Oratory of Pliny and other bibliographic monuments

At the age of 14, Pliny wrote his first tragedy (in ancient Greek), it is mentioned in his letters: “I don’t know what it was; called a tragedy” (Letters, VII-42). Pliny the Younger paid much attention to his poems, which, according to him, were valued by his contemporaries as highly as the poetry of Tacitus, but have not survived to our time.

Pliny was an excellent orator. In his letters, he pays much attention to the nuances of oratory, the differences between Atticism and Asianism. In his writings, imitation of Cicero is noticeable. Numerous court speeches by Pliny were published and enjoyed popularity, including an accusatory speech against the Spanish governor Bebius Massa, but only the Panegyric to the Emperor Trajan has come down to us - a eulogy that Pliny delivered after his election as consul. In it, Pliny tells about Trajan's innovations in the field of laws, trade, military discipline and justice. Despite obvious flattery (such eulogies were obligatory when entering the position bestowed by the emperor), Pliny, in general, objectively evaluates the reign of Trajan. In his letters he calls him "The Best Princeps" ( optimus princeps).

Translations

Pliny's panegyric was translated by Epiphanius Slavinetsky, the translation has not been preserved.

Russian translations:

• Word of praise to the Emperor Trajan, spoken by the Roman Consul Caius Pliny Caecilius II. / Per. A. Nartova. St. Petersburg, 1777.
• Praise to Emperor Trajan. / Per. I. Tolmacheva. St. Petersburg, 1820.
• Correspondence the younger Pliny with Emperor Trajan. St. Petersburg, 1863.
• . Correspondence with Trajan. / Per. V. S. Sokolova. // VDI. 1946. No. 2.
• Letters Pliny the Younger/ Per. M. E. Sergeenko (books I-VI, X), A. I. Dovatura (books VII-IX), V. S. Sokolov ("Panegyric to Trajan") 1st ed. M.-L., 1950.
• Letters of Pliny the Younger: Books I-X = Plini Secvndi Epistvlarvm: Libri I-X / Edition prepared by M. E. Sergeenko, A. I. Dovatur; Rep. ed. A. I. Dovatur (); USSR Academy of Sciences. - Ed. 2nd, revised. - M.: Nauka, 1982. - 408 p. - (Literary monuments). - 50,000 copies. (in trans.)

Other translations:

• In the Loeb classical library series, the letters and the Panegyric were published in 2 volumes (No. 55, 59).
• In the Collection Budé series, the letters and the Panegyric are published in 4 volumes (published in 2009).

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The ancient Roman writer and politician Pliny the Younger is known for the letters he left behind and for his oratory. His creative flowering fell on the era of the reign of Emperor Trajan and the "Golden Age" of the ancient state.

Family

The future writer Pliny the Younger was born in 61 in northern Italy, in the city of Como. He belonged to an aristocratic family. His father was an important official in the local municipality. The maternal uncle of Pliny the Younger was Pliny the Elder (22-79). He was also a writer. His Natural History was a popular encyclopedia dedicated to natural phenomena and subjects. Pliny the Younger lost his father early, after which he was adopted by his uncle, who gave his nephew the best education at that time.

uncle death

Uncle and nephew witnessed the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in Pompeii in 79. Pliny the Elder at that time was the commander of the local fleet. For some unknown reason, on a ship he approached the volcano at too dangerous a distance, which caused him to be poisoned by sulfur fumes. Pliny the Younger was then only an eighteen-year-old youth. Later, in one of his letters to the historian Tacitus, he will describe the circumstances of the tragedy. Modern historiographers would never have known some of the details about the eruption of Vesuvius, if not for Pliny the Younger. Pompeii became his main and most terrible impression of his life.

Career

Pliny studied at home with his uncle. But in addition, the military Virginius Rufus was engaged in his education, who at one time could even become an emperor, but refused such a burden. When Pliny grew up, he chose a career as a civil servant. To do this, he moved to Rome, where he studied at a rhetorical school. Already at the end of the second ten, a capable young man began to master the basics of advocacy.

Under Emperor Domitian, the official made an impressive career. By 94 he had become prefect of the military treasury. It was an extremely delicate position, which was claimed by numerous detractors of Pliny. Only the premature death of the emperor prevented the aristocrat from dying because of

Approximate of Trajan

In 98 he came to power. He had a close and trusting relationship with Pliny. Therefore, the new ruler appointed the writer to important government positions. In the year 100, Pliny became consul, and three years later he found himself in the college of augur priests. These people performed important state ceremonies adopted in the ancient pagan society. Augurs divined and personified the divinity of the power of the emperor.

However, despite public service, Pliny never left his legal practice. He was one of the most respected metropolitan experts in jurisprudence. Over the years of vigorous activity, this man became rich and acquired his own villas. But he did not forget about philanthropic activities. For example, a native had an influential patron for a long time. It was Pliny the Younger Gaius. short biography this man is an example of the life of a representative aristocrat of the Roman Empire during its heyday.

In 110, Pliny received his last public office. Trajan appointed him legate in the distant province of Bithynia, where corruption reigned. The emperor hoped that the venerable official and lawyer would be able to eradicate this evil. Pliny lived to be three years old and died in 113.

literary heritage

From the literary heritage of the author, the letters of Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan are best known. They were written in last years life of an official, when he lived in Bithynia and kept in touch with the ruler only through correspondence. These creations were published after his death and are a brilliant example of the epistolary genre.

According to Pliny's correspondence, many generations of historians have studied the life and customs of the Roman Empire at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries. The author was fluent in Latin, which made his letters handy application to learn this language. In his letters to Trajan, Pliny not only described Eastern life, but also talked a lot about politics. In addition, he mentioned several times the first communities of Christians who at that time lived in the empire as outcasts.

Since Pliny was an augur for some time, he was well versed in religious matters. In the Roman Empire, the cult of the emperor was widespread. Christians denied it, for which they were persecuted by the authorities. Pliny in his letters described the rites of these people who lived in semi-closed communities.

During his lifetime, the writer published nine volumes of his letters, sent to a variety of people. In some of them, Pliny argued heatedly with his addressees, demonstrating his polished rhetorical skills. In his presentation of thoughts, he often imitated Cicero. Pliny's letters are classics of ancient Roman literature. They have also been translated into Russian and included in university history textbooks and various monographs.