{"product_id":"letters-volume-ii","title":"Letters, Volume II","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrespondence from a distinguished and eventful life.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe  Younger Pliny was born in AD 61 or 62, the son of Lucius Caecilius of  Comum (Como) and the Elder Pliny’s sister. He was educated at home and  then in Rome under Quintilian. He was at Misenum at the time of the  eruption of Vesuvius in 79 (described in two famous letters) when the  Elder Pliny died.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Pliny started his career at the Roman bar at the age of eighteen. He  moved through the regular offices in a senator’s career, held two  treasury appointments and a priesthood, and was consul in September and  October 100. On this occasion he delivered the speech of thanks to the  emperor Trajan that he afterwards expanded and published as the \u003ci\u003ePanegyricus\u003c\/i\u003e.  After his consulship he returned to advocacy in the court and Senate,  and was also president of the Tiber Conservancy Board. His hopes of  retirement were cut short when he was chosen by Trajan to go out to the  province of Bithynia and Pontus on a special commission as the emperor’s  direct representative. He is known to have been there two years, and is  presumed to have died there before the end of 113. Book 10 of the \u003ci\u003eLetters\u003c\/i\u003e contains his correspondence with Trajan during this period, and includes letters about the early Christians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Pliny’s \u003ci\u003eLetters \u003c\/i\u003eare important as a social document of his times.  They tell us about the man himself and his wide interests, and about his  many friends, including Tacitus, Martial, and Suetonius. Pliny has a  gift for description and a versatile prose style, and more than any of  his contemporaries he gives an unprejudiced picture of Rome as he knew  it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Loeb Classical Library edition of Pliny the Younger is in two volumes; the first contains Books 1–7 of his \u003ci\u003eLetters \u003c\/i\u003eand an Introduction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harvard University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54241674756440,"sku":"9780674990661","price":31.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780674990661.jpg?v=1778905838","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/letters-volume-ii","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}