Pliny the Younger on the development of the provinces. The Younger Pliny Biography

Pliny the Younger (full name: Gaius Plinius 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 into a wealthy family. His father, Lucius Caecilius Cylon, held an important position in the municipality, his mother, Plinia, was the sister of Pliny the Elder, a famous ancient statesman and author of the encyclopedic Natural History.

Even grief has its charm, and happy is the one who can cry on the chest of a friend, from whom these tears will evoke sympathy and compassion.

Pliny the Younger

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 figure 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 a rhetoric school under the guidance of Quintilian and Niketus Scodra. At the age of 18 or 19 he first became a lawyer in the court of centumvirs.

Pliny proved himself well and completed the entire course of state magistrates (curosus honorum): In 81 he was appointed priest of the cult of the emperor, in 82 - military tribune in Syria, in 83 - chief of the cavalry, in 89 - quaestor, in 92 - praetor , in 94 - prefect of the military treasury.

Both in a person and in a state, the most severe disease is the one that begins in the head.

Pliny the Younger

Pliny held all these posts during the reign of Domitian, and only the death of the princeps saved him from execution due to denunciation. Under Emperor Nerva, he was appointed prefect of the Saturnian treasury.

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

He held the responsible position of superintendent of the Tiber (superintendens). Until recently, he did not give up his legal practice and participated in provincial courts.

History is written to establish strict truth.

Pliny the Younger

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 near his hometown of Como with the names “Tragedy” and “Comedy”.

Attempts are still being made to reconstruct these villas according to the descriptions of Pliny himself. Spending most of his time 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. With his funds, 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 suddenly there. The exact date of Pliny's death and place of burial are unknown.

People devoted to pleasure live as if one day at a time: today is over - and there is no reason to live.

Pliny the Younger

Between 97 and 109, Pliny published 9 books of his letters. All of them have survived to this day and are examples of the epistolary genre. The letters are addressed to different people: with someone Pliny shares everyday concerns, 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 from the crater of a volcano, a hail of ash and rocks, and an earthquake that led to a tsunami.

I would call the most perfect person the one who knows how to forgive others.

Pliny the Younger

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 “the thick fumes took his breath away and closed his windpipe.”

The tenth volume of Pliny's letters contains his correspondence with Emperor Trajan, with whom he had a confidential relationship. Pliny consults with the princeps on affairs in Bithynia and reports facts of corruption.

Also, Pliny's letters to Trajan contain one of the earliest mentions of Christians. Pliny talks about some Christian rituals, about how steadfastly 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 him not to pay attention to the denunciations.

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; was called tragedy" (Letters, VII-42). Pliny the Younger paid a lot of attention to his poems, which, according to his assurances, were valued by his contemporaries as highly as the poetry of Tacitus, but have not survived to this day.

Pliny was an excellent orator. In his letters, he pays a lot of attention to the nuances of oratory and the differences between Atticism and Asianism. In his writings there is a noticeable imitation of Cicero.

Numerous court speeches by Pliny were published and enjoyed popularity, including an indictment against the Spanish governor Baebius Massa, but only the “Panegyric to Emperor Trajan,” a eulogy that Pliny delivered after his election as consul, has reached us.

In it, Pliny talks about Trajan's innovations in the field of laws, trade, military discipline and justice. Despite obvious flattery (such laudatory speeches were mandatory when entering a position bestowed by the emperor), Pliny, in general, objectively assesses Trajan’s reign. In his letters he calls him “The Best Princeps” (optimus princeps).

Translations
Russian translations:
* A word of praise to the Emperor Trajan, spoken by the Roman Consul Caius Pliny Caecilius the Second. / Per. A. Nartova. St. Petersburg, 1777.
* Eulogies to Emperor Trajan. / Per. I. Tolmacheva. St. Petersburg, 1820.
* Correspondence of the Younger Pliny with Emperor Trajan. St. Petersburg, 1863.
* Pliny the Younger. Correspondence with Trajan. / Per. V. S. Sokolova. // VDI. 1946. No. 2.
* Letters of Pliny the Younger. / Per. M. E. Sergeenko (books I–VI, X), A. I. Dovatura (books VII–IX), V. S. Sokolova (“Panegyric to Trajan”), 1st ed. M.-L., 1950. 2nd revision. ed. Rep. ed. A.I. Dovatur. (Series “Literary Monuments”). M., Science. 1983. 408 pp.
Other translations:
* In the “Loeb classical library” series, letters and “Panegyric” were published in 2 volumes (No. 55, 59).
* In the “Collection Bude” series, the letters and “Panegyric” are published in 4 volumes (publication completed in 2009).

and then greatly expanded for book edition. This rather typical “royal speech” (p. 230), designed in a pompous and solemn style, served as a model for numerous later “eulogies” to the Roman emperors. In matters of style, Pliny admits himself to be “an admirer of the ancients,” in particular Cicero, but he himself adds that he “does not despise the new.”

The most important monument to Pliny's literary activity is his letters. These are not simple private letters intended for their addressees, but small, elegantly composed literary messages in prose, compiled with the expectation of publication. The nature of these letters is easily understood when compared with the letters of Cicero. Cicero writes actual letters in which he informs his correspondents of a wide variety of news: he returns to the same topics in further letters as events unfold. Not so with Pliny: his letters are usually devoted to one complete topic, and it rarely serves as the subject of subsequent letters. Artistic writing becomes the same instrument for the literary recording of a single fact of life or mental mood at a certain moment, as epigrams, “silves” or odes and messages of Horace were in poetry. The letters are also arranged not chronologically, but like poems in ancient collections - according to the principle of variation in content and tone.

The content is varied. Pliny talks about his Senate and judicial speeches, responds to literary and everyday events of the day, gives characteristics of deceased writers and statesmen, describes villas, nature, addresses congratulations, with expressions of gratitude or condolences. Two letters to the historian Tacitus are very famous, in which Pliny, at the request of Tacitus, describes the death of his uncle and the eruption of Vesuvius.

To the nine books that make up the collection of Pliny's letters, Pliny's correspondence with the Emperor Trajan, published independently of the main collection, was subsequently added as the tenth book. These are actual letters, requests from Pliny regarding the administration of the province of Bithynia and the emperor's response instructions. They are of great value to the historian; Particularly interesting is the letter in which Pliny asks what line he should follow in relation to Christians.

The letters give a clear picture of the complacent, but self-satisfied and vain author. Their main goal is self-image. Pliny must appear before posterity as a noble man, a humane slave owner, a philanthropist, a devoted friend and an excellent family man, as an outstanding writer. Like many figures from the times of the empire, Pliny does not expect glory throughout the centuries from his civic activities (“it does not depend on us,” says Pliny himself), but counts on literary immortality. To this end, he publishes speeches, letters, even frivolous poems, which he considers composed in the style of Catullus. Literary themes occupy a large place in letters.

Pliny's circle of literary acquaintances is very large. “There is hardly a lover of literary studies who would not be my friend,” he assures. He names a large number of historians who speak

Among the outstanding figures of Ancient Rome, Pliny the Younger occupies a special place, leaving behind many works that allowed historians of subsequent eras to gain a more complete understanding of the heyday of one of the world's greatest empires. In particular, his works include the first documentary information about the life and struggle of early Christian communities.

Adolescence and years of study

In 61, in the family of the official Lucius Caecilius Cilonais, who held a high position in the municipality of Como (the current administrative center of Lambardia), a son was born who was destined to go down in world history under the name of Pliny the Younger. Why Junior? Because his maternal uncle bore the same name and, like his nephew, took an honorable place in world history, becoming famous for a number of works in which he described in detail the winding paths of development of the Roman state.

The role of this man in the life of Pliny the Younger is very significant, since it was he who replaced the boy’s father, who passed away early, and helped him receive a decent upbringing and education. Thanks to his patronage, the young man had the opportunity to take lessons from an outstanding man of his era, Virginia Rufus, who went down in history not only as an outstanding teacher, but also as a major military leader. It is known that his authority among the soldiers of the Roman legions was so high that they repeatedly offered him the title of emperor, which he refused each time.

Victim of an angry volcano

Pliny the Younger was 18 years old when fate prepared for him the second bereavement after the death of his father - the tragic death of his uncle. This happened in 79, when the eruption of Vesuvius, familiar to us from the famous painting by K. P. Bryullov, hit the seaside city of Pompeii with all its fury. At that time, Pliny the Elder commanded the Roman fleet and wished to see the extraordinary spectacle in person.

Having approached the scene of the disaster on one of the ships and wanting to thoroughly study the rare natural disaster, he landed on the shore, but without taking the proper precautions, he was poisoned by sulfur fumes and died suddenly. The nephew also took part in the journey to the erupting volcano, but, unlike his uncle, wisely remained on board.

Modern scientists know this episode from a letter from Pliny the Younger to Tacitus, his contemporary, who became famous as one of the most famous historians and writers of the ancient world. In it, he describes in detail the clouds of smoke escaping from the crater of the volcano, as well as the hail of stones and ash that showered the area. He also witnessed the beginning of an earthquake that gave rise to a tsunami. In addition to Pompeii, two other cities located at the foot of Vesuvius - Herculaneum and Stabiae - became victims of the raging elements in those days.

The beginning of a brilliant career

Long before this tragic event, Pliny the Younger moved from his hometown of Como to Rome, where he took rhetoric lessons from prominent political and public figures of that time - Niketus Scodra and Quintilian. By the age of 18, he had mastered the art of public speaking so successfully that he was able to independently practice law.

The next two decades became a period of steady career growth for Pliny. He began his ascent with his appointment to the post of priest of the cult of the emperor - there was such an official position in Ancient Rome. In those ancient times, the supreme rulers were equated with gods, so blind worship of them was considered an integral part of patriotism and deep religiosity.

A gift of fate

Obviously, the Younger Pliny was very successful in this, since in the coming years he received several high posts both in the capital of the empire and on its outskirts. At times it seemed that fate itself was favorable to him. For example, one day the then reigning Emperor Domitian received a denunciation about some dubious deeds being done by Pliny, or, as the latter assured, attributed to him by envious people.

The emperor, who could not stand embezzlers, was going to put him to death, but unexpectedly for everyone he died. When power passed to his successor, Emperor Marcus Nerva, the ill-fated denunciation was lost somewhere, and Pliny received a new, even higher appointment, which, by the way, was directly related to state finances.

The Emperor's Favorite

Pliny the Younger reached the peak of his career growth during the reign of Emperor Troyan (the photo of his bust is given above), who greatly favored him and entrusted him with the most important tasks. So, in 100, the post of consul was added to Pliny’s track record, and three years later he was introduced to the so-called auguriate college, whose members were engaged in official state fortune-telling about the outcome of certain upcoming events. In addition, he held the high and honorable position of caretaker of the Tiber, a river that still flows on the Apennine Peninsula.

During his life, Pliny was married three times, but had no children. It seemed that the gods, who generously bestowed him with earthly goods, were stingy with the heirs to whom he could leave them. And he had something to mention in his will. For example, during the years spent in public service, Pliny became the owner of three luxurious villas, two of which, located near his hometown of Como, he, as a truly poetic nature, called “Comedy” and “Tragedy”. To his credit, it should be noted that, while occupying high government positions, he never forgot this city and generously donated money for its improvement.

At the end of life

Pliny the Younger spent the end of his life in one of the Roman provinces called Bithynia and located between the Bosporus and the Sangarius River. He was sent there as a legate ─ the official imperial envoy, whose main task was to eradicate the corruption in which local officials were hopelessly mired. History has not preserved for us information about how successfully he fought against this evil of all times and peoples, but it is known for certain that it was there in 111 that his life’s path was cut short.

Letters from time immemorial

Historians know about Pliny the Younger mainly due to the rich literary heritage he left behind, which includes works of a wide variety of genres. In addition to their artistic merit, they are valuable due to the information they contain about the most diverse aspects of the life of the Roman Empire, covering the periods of the reign of three emperors ─ Domitian, Nerva and Trojan.

Very interesting, in particular, are the letters of Pliny the Younger, written at different periods of his life and also recreating the picture of the reality around him. Some of them, addressed to his last wife Calpurnia, are a high example of love poetry, included in the golden fund of world literature. Nowadays, 9 books have been published, including all of his letters that have survived to this day.

Among the numerous statements of Pliny the Younger, of particular interest are his remarks regarding the early Christian communities, which became widespread at that time, despite severe persecution by the official authorities. In particular, he notes the extraordinary tenacity with which Christians defend their religion, and expresses doubt as to whether it is worth attaching importance to the denunciations received against them.

Afterword

Thanks to his active role in the political life of the country, as well as the abundance of historical works and works of art written during his lifetime, many of which have not survived to our time, Pliny firmly took his place in the history of Ancient Rome. However, nowadays only a narrow circle of specialists, as well as history buffs, know about it. Only in the business world today is the name of Pliny the Younger rarely mentioned. In Nyaganya ─ a city located in Khanty - Mansi Autonomous Okrug ─ it is immortalized in the name of one of the trading companies selling books and stationery.

17 years old, studied eloquence from Quintiliana, completed his education by studying philosophy, then devoted himself to public service. This was under the emperor Domitian. One of the insidious informers brought an accusation against Pliny that put his life in great danger, but the murder of Domitian saved him. Pliny the Younger earned the favor of 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 trust of the emperor to bring benefit to society and ward off evil if possible. His compassion and humanity extended even to the unfree people on his estates; but he was far inferior to his friend Tacitus in strength of character, love of freedom, and generally did not have the civic valor of the old days.

“Fortune was very favorable to Guy Pliny the Younger,” says scientist Bernhardi. – Powerful people and the emperor himself were disposed towards him; he had good friends, loved and often had the opportunity to provide them with services, was rich, was happy in both his first and second marriages; his life was calm, full of joys. In a word, he was a noble secular man who tried to live calmly; he did not understand the deep ills of his time.” Imitating Cicero, he loved to spend hours of pleasant leisure in correspondence with friends. The delicate, elegant tone of Pliny the Younger's letters gives a high idea 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 grace, by the courtly nature of their thoughts, we see that the time of 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 concepts of people by the monarchical order, in which one sovereign commands, and all others obey his orders. But the tone of each letter from Pliny the Younger already shows what position in society the person to whom he is writing occupies. Conventional polish has replaced naturalness, the elegant tone of humanity serves as 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 himself. They are divided into 10 books. The last book consists of his correspondence with Trajan. He sends reports to the emperor, asks for his decisions; Trajan answers questions. This correspondence gives us a clear understanding of the then administration of the Roman Empire, of the complete dependence of everything in the state on the will of the almighty emperor. The other nine books contain letters from Guy Pliny to his friends. They give us a lot of information about the domestic and social life of Rome, about legal proceedings, management, and science. They contain many characteristics of wonderful people, many descriptions of places and villas. There are stories about physical events, there are anecdotes from social life.

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

With careful finishing, Pliny the Younger gave his letters a very elegant form. Many of them can be called exemplary in their delicacy and grace of tone. There are often excellent notes on the people and customs of the time. Many letters are attractive because of the goodwill expressed in them, the nobility of thoughts, and moral purity, so that the author deserves the fame of one of the kindest and noblest people among ancient writers. But in Pliny the Younger the desire to express himself beautifully, the love of antitheses, which are sometimes strained, and 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 reached us - the “Panegyric” to Trajan, which he delivered in the year 100 in the Senate to express gratitude to Trajan for receiving the consulate, and then revised and increased in volume. This work suffers from the same shortcomings as the letters, but even more than them: the artificiality of style, the pursuit of brilliant turns of phrase, sonorous expressions are taken to the extreme here. In addition, the “Panegyric” is drawn out with rhetorical verbosity, a 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 a sovereign what he should be is a wonderful task, but difficult, so taking on it is too proud. But praising an excellent sovereign and praising him is like setting a light on high for his successors, so that they walk towards this light - a useful and not proud thing.” Since the time of Pliny, panegyrics for princes have become fashionable. Imitations suffer from all the shortcomings of the model, without having its advantages. It became a custom that on holidays of the ordinary calendar and during celebrations on special occasions, a famous Roman orator or high dignitary would deliver a panegyric before the emperor, showering him with every kind of vulgar flattery that could be imagined. Two such panegyrics have reached us. The author of one, the Gallic orator Claudius Mamertine, praises the emperors Maximina And Diocletian, and in another the rhetorician Eumenius - Constantia Chlora. Both of them do not know the extent of praise; they compare the sovereigns they extol with both heroes and gods; both seem to have considered servility the highest of all virtues.

- famous ancient statesman and author of the encyclopedic " " Pliny lost his father early and was adopted by his uncle, who gave him an excellent education. He was also Pliny's teacher , ancient Roman military and political figure who renounced his title several times offered to him by the soldiers.

At first Pliny the Younger moved to , where he studied eloquence in under the direction of And . Pliny the Younger was 18 years old when fate prepared for him the second bereavement after the death of his father - the tragic death of his uncle. This happened in 79, when the eruption of Vesuvius, familiar to us from the famous painting by K. P. Bryullov, hit the seaside city of Pompeii with all its fury. At that time, Pliny the Elder commanded the Roman fleet and wished to see the extraordinary spectacle in person.At the age of 18 or 19 I first took up activities in court .

Pliny proved himself well and completed the entire course of state master's degrees (curosus honorum ): IN was appointed priest of the cult of the emperor, in G. - V , V - chief of the cavalry, in - , V - , V - military treasury. Pliny held all these posts during his reign and only death saved him from execution . Under the Emperor Was assigned treasury.

In 98, Emperor Trajan came to power. He had a close and trusting relationship with Pliny. Therefore, the new ruler appointed the writer to important government positions. In 100, Pliny became consul, and three years later he found himself in the college of priests of the augurs. These people performed important state rites accepted in ancient pagan society. Augurs told fortunes and personified the divinity of the emperor's power. However, despite public service,Held a responsible position as a caretaker ( superintendents ). Until recently, he did not leave his legal practice and participated in provincial courts. Being married three times (there are letters addressed to his last wife, Calpurnia), he had no children. Was the owner of several villas in , including two - near his hometown with the titles "Tragedy" and "Comedy". Attempts are still being made to reconstruct these villas according to the descriptions of Pliny himself.

IN Pliny was appointed imperial to the province with the responsible task of eradicating , however, he died suddenly there. The exact date of Pliny's death and place of burial are unknown.

PresumablyPliny lived in Asia Minor for three years and died in 113.

Of the author's literary heritage, the letters of Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan are best known. They were written in the last years of the official's life, when he lived in Bithynia and maintained contact with the ruler only through correspondence. These works were published after his death and represent a brilliant example of the epistolary genre. According to Pliny's correspondence, many generations of historians studied the life and customs of the Roman Empire at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries. The author had an excellent command of Latin, which made his letters a convenient application for learning 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. The cult of the emperor was widespread in the Roman Empire. Christians denied it, for which they were persecuted by the authorities. Pliny in his letters described the rituals 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 refined rhetorical skill. In his presentation of thoughts he often imitated Cicero. Pliny's letters are classics of ancient Roman literature. They have been translated into Russian and included in university history textbooks and various monographs. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 tons (82 tons and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.

During his life, Pliny was married three times, but had no children. It seemed that the gods, who generously bestowed him with earthly goods, were stingy with the heirs to whom he could leave them. And he had something to mention in his will. For example, during the years spent in public service, Pliny became the owner of three luxurious villas, two of which, located near his hometown of Como, he, as a truly poetic nature, called “Comedy” and “Tragedy”. To his credit, it should be noted that, while occupying high government positions, he never forgot this city and generously donated money for its improvement.

Historians know about Pliny the Younger mainly due to the rich literary heritage he left behind, which includes works of a wide variety of genres. In addition to their artistic merit, they are valuable due to the information they contain about the most diverse aspects of the life of the Roman Empire, covering the periods of the reign of three emperors ─ Domitian, Nerva and Trojan. Very interesting, in particular, are the letters of Pliny the Younger, written at different periods of his life and also recreating the picture of the reality around him. Some of them, addressed to his last wife Calpurnia, are a high example of love poetry, included in the golden fund of world literature. Nowadays, 9 books have been published, including all of his letters that have survived to this day. Among the numerous statements of Pliny the Younger, of particular interest are his remarks regarding the early Christian communities, which became widespread at that time, despite severe persecution by the official authorities. In particular, he notes the extraordinary tenacity with which Christians defend their religion, and expresses doubt as to whether it is worth attaching importance to the denunciations received against them. - Read more on SYL.ru: