1. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus
Pliny the Younger

2. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus
c. AD 61–c.112
Born in Comum, son of a landowner
Adopted by his uncle, Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder), an equestrian, military figure, polymath, and author of Natural History

5. Curriculum Vitae Trained in Rhetoric in Rome
c. 81 AD served for a year with the army in Syria
Returned to Rome – entered the Senate
Made a career as an advocate in the law courts
specializing in inheritance cases
prosecuting provincial governors for extortion
93 AD Praetor
100 AD Consul

6. Administrative Postings
94 – 96 AD praefectus aerari militaris, in charge of army pensions
AD curator alvei Tiberis; charged with care for the banks of the Tiber
110 AD Governor of Bithynia Pontus
Died in Bithynia
From here he raises a question: “What to do about the Christians” – early documentary evidence about Christians and their beliefs.

7. Literary Achievements
Published nine books of letters
Commentary on social issues, politics, literature, domestic issues of the day
Highly polished, making use of poetic and rhetorical devices – written with an intent to publish
His 10th book of letters is a record of correspondence with the Emperor Trajan
Also published some poetry and other treatises on a wide variety of subjects

8. Personal Life
Witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius, when it destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae
Married three times, his first two wives died young
Calpurnia, his third wife, figures prominently in his letters
Close friends with Tacitus, whose Annals establish him as a foremost historian of Rome during the early principate

9. Selected Bibliography
"Pliny"  The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. M.C. Howatson and Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Paul VI Catholic High School.  1 November 2006  <
Simon R. F. Price "Pliny the Younger"  Who's Who in the Classical World. Ed. Simon Hornblower and Tony Spawforth. Oxford University Press, Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Paul VI Catholic High School.  1 November 2006  <