On August 24, 79 A.D., Pliny witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius.  His uncle, Pliny the Elder, passed away attempting to both investigation this horrendous event but also in helping fellow refugees.  In respect for that, we thought we should take a look at Pliny the Younger’s letter describing the events of that day.

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus  better known as Pliny the Younger was a lawyer, author and magistrate in Ancient Rome.  He was born into the equestrian class.  As such was the equivalent of a knight in Rome.  This fact, I had not known until studying what might be said in this post.

During his life he wrote hundreds of letters of which only 247 survive.  Each has its historical value in that these are addressed to reigning emperors and other distinguished notables.   Through these we have learned of the relationships between imperial Rome and its provincial governors.  He was also friends with the famed historian Tacitus, of whom we will discuss in later postings.

At the request of Tacitus, Pliny wrote two letters describing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius twenty five years after the event.    These letters are valuable due to their description of the death of Pliny the Elder but more so because of the accuracy of the description of a type of eruption that has become known to volcanologists as a Plinian eruption.

Pliny the Younger’s account of the eruption may be read here:

http://www.bartleby.com/9/4/1065.html

The entire collection of The Letters of Pliny the Younger may be listened to in an audiobook format here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6aZTBD_ySY