The time of writing the letters of Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Younger: biography and legacy

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.

PLYNY THE YOUNGER

The interest in everyday reality, so characteristic of Martial, is also characteristic of the writer whose activity unfolded under Nerva and Trajan (98-117), Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, usually called Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Younger was the nephew of Pliny the Elder, author of the large encyclopedia “Natural History” (in 37 books); Pliny adopted his nephew. The natural scientist himself died in 79 during the eruption of Vesuvius. This terrible earthquake and the death of his uncle, who set off on a small ship to help those in distress, were described by Pliny the Younger in his famous letter to the historian Tacitus. The reign of Trajan, when Pliny creates his literary works, is characterized by the establishment of peace between the Senate and the emperor. Pliny and Tacitus write that the Romans finally breathed a sigh of relief after the despotic rule of Emperor Domitian. Trajan pledged not to persecute the senators and take into account their interests. He patronized literary pursuits and organized a famous library in Rome, located in the “Basilica Ulpia” specially built for it.
Pliny the Younger was a major statesman and enjoyed the patronage of the emperor. He held various government positions, was consul and governor of the province of Bithynia. He came from the provincial nobility, his homeland was the town of Como in Cisalpine Gaul. Having become an influential person, he patronized his hometown, contributed to the construction of ceremonial buildings in it (built baths and a library) and often visited there. In this town there is a stone with an inscription carved in honor of Pliny. In the cathedral of this city in modern Italy, statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger still stand.
Pliny was a student of Quintilian who was enthusiastic about Cicero. He gave speeches several times, but only his “Panegyric to Trajan” has reached us - a long speech consisting of 95 chapters, full of flattering praise and glorification of monarchical power. The oratorical genre of “royal speech” arose already in Hellenistic times on the basis of the genre of encomia (praise speech) developed by Isocrates. It was used by Hellenistic orators who glorified their monarchs, and during the reign of Trajan, the famous orator Dion Chrysostom ("Chrysostom") made similar speeches in Rome.
The collection of Pliny's letters, consisting of 9 books, is of extremely great interest for the history of literature. The 10th book includes correspondence between Pliny and Emperor Trajan, devoted to issues related to the governance of Bithynia.
Burdened with government affairs, the letter writer constantly dreams of literary leisure. Literary activity

406

seems to him the only road leading to immortality. He devotes his short leisure time, which he often spends in the quiet of his Italian villas, to composing poetry and writing literary letters.
Pliny's letters are reminiscent to some extent of those poetic genres in which fleeting events of everyday life were recorded; an epigram or a poetic message (for example, from Horace). He views the genre of epistolography as purely literary: he does not wait for answers to his letters, does not set dates, and always devotes each letter to a single question. The themes of his prose miniatures are varied: there are invitations to friends, descriptions of the beauties of villas and sculptures that he acquired, and discussions on literary topics. The letters are carefully distributed throughout the books to make for an entertaining read of varied themes and tone. The author of these messages is a good-natured, vain man, in love with literary pursuits, who even takes wax tablets with him when hunting, so that even there, while waiting for game, he does not waste precious time aimlessly. The information he provides in his letters about the literary life of his time is extremely interesting. Pliny was familiar with a large number of modern writers. “There is almost no one who loves literature and at the same time does not love me” (I, 13, 56), he asserts with self-satisfaction. Most of these lovers of literature are rich amateurs imitating ancient authors (Catullus, Calvus, Horace, Propertius); among them only Martial and Tacitus are outstanding writers. These amateurs compose elegies and mimiambas in Greek (Arrius Antoninus), epic poems glorifying the deeds of the emperor (Caninius Rufus “War with the Dacians”), small lyric poems in the spirit of Catullus (Gellius Augurinus). They enthusiastically read and send their poems to each other, exchanging praise and criticism. His letters are full of enthusiastic reviews of these “trinkets”, testifying to the amateurish tastes of Pliny himself:

Does a Roman really speak Greek like that? I swear, I would say that Athens itself does not speak Attic like that! I envy the Greeks because you chose to write in their language.
(Translated by N.V. Vulikh)

Pliny's letters provide interesting material for judging the literary environment and its interests, about the background against which the activities of such talented and significant writers of this time as Juvenal and Tacitus unfolded. Written vividly and captivatingly, they retained their interest for posterity, while all other works of Pliny were quickly forgotten.

Prepared according to the edition:

Chistyakova N.A., Vulikh N.V.
History of ancient literature. - 2nd ed. - M.: Higher. school, 1971.
© Publishing House "Higher School", 1971.

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 famous 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 famous political and military leader Virginia Rufus, who several times rejected the imperial title that the soldiers proposed to bestow on him.

At the beginning of 70, Pliny the Younger moved to Rome, where he studied at the rhetoric school with teachers Quintilian and Niketus Scodra. At the age of 18 or 19, he first became involved in the practice of law. Pliny the Younger completed a full course of state master's degrees, and at each stage he proved himself to be the best. His career was rapid and successful. So, in 81, Pliny was a priest of the cult of the emperor, in 82 - a Syrian military tribune, in 83 - chief of the imperial cavalry, in 89 - quaestor, in 92 - praetor, in 94 - prefect of the treasury army.

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

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

While carrying out one of the emperor’s tasks in the province of Bithynia, related to the eradication of corruption, Pliny died suddenly, and it is unknown exactly when he died and where he found his final refuge.

The name of Pliny the Younger remained in history thanks not to his, albeit brilliant, state activities, but to his letters, which amounted to 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 subsequent generations about the era of the Roman Empire. Here you can find materials related to history, culture, economics, everyday life, and portraits of the author’s contemporaries. In addition, his letters became 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 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. 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 master's degrees ( curosus honorum): In 81 he was appointed priest of the cult of the emperor, in 82 - military tribune in Syria, in 83 - chief of cavalry, in 89 - quaestor, in 92 - praetor, in 94 - 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 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 caretaker of the Tiber ( 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. 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.

Letters of Pliny

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. 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 (from 05/26/2013 - story, copy) about 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.

Pliny's oratory 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; 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 our time.

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. His writings show a marked 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

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

Russian translations:

• A word of praise to Emperor Trajan, spoken by the Roman Consul Caius Plinius Caecilius the Second. / Per. A. Nartova. St. Petersburg, 1777.
• A word of 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 (book VII-IX), V. S. Sokolova (“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 (); Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - Ed. 2nd, revised - M.: Nauka, 1982. - 408 p. - (Literary monuments). - 50,000 copies. (in translation)

Other translations:

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

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- 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:

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.