author
the Younger Pliny
b. 61
Remembered for vivid letters that bring ancient Rome startlingly close, this Roman lawyer and official left one of the clearest eyewitness accounts from the ancient world. His writing preserves daily life, politics, and the eruption of Vesuvius with unusual immediacy.
2 Audiobooks
Letters of Pliny
by the Younger Pliny
The Letters of the Younger Pliny, First Series — Volume 1
by the Younger Pliny
About the author
Born in 61 CE, Pliny the Younger was a Roman lawyer, author, and public official from Comum in northern Italy. After the death of his father, he was raised and educated with the help of his uncle, Pliny the Elder, whose name he later took.
He is best known for his carefully crafted letters, many of which still survive. They offer a lively picture of elite Roman life under the Empire, moving easily between friendship, literary culture, legal work, and government service.
Some of his most famous letters describe the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and the death of Pliny the Elder, making them especially valuable to later readers and historians. He also served in high office, including as governor of Bithynia-Pontus, where his correspondence with Emperor Trajan shows him as a thoughtful and practical administrator.