Letters of Pliny

About the book

Pliny the Younger writes about friends, property, literature, legal work, and the responsibilities of public office with an eye to both personal connection and reputation. His letters turn small occasions into carefully shaped accounts of Roman elite life: a recommendation, a villa, a reading, or an administrative difficulty can reveal the expectations binding people together. Correspondence with the emperor Trajan changes the scale, showing a provincial governor seeking guidance on practical decisions and imperial policy. This edition presents a selection in William Melmoth's translation as revised by F. C. T. Bosanquet. Its varied situations invite browsing, while its recurring concerns with duty, cultivation, and esteem gradually build a portrait of the writer and his social world.

• Public duty
• Friendship
• Literary self-presentation

Why read it

Read it for the everyday questions behind Roman administration and the artful personality of a letter writer.

English selection; William Melmoth translation revised by F. C. T. Bosanquet