Pliny and the Eruption of Vesuvius

Document Type

Book

Publication Date

3-2022

Abstract

A forensic examination of two of the most famous letters from the ancient Mediterranean world: Pliny the Younger’s Epistulae 6.16 and 6.20, which offer a contemporary account of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, and killed his uncle, Pliny the Elder. This volume provides the first comprehensive full-length treatment of these documents, contextualized by evidence-rich biographies for both Plinys, and a synthesis of the latest archaeological and volcanological research which answers questions about the eruption date. A new collation of sources results in a detailed manuscript tradition and an authoritative Latin text and English translation, while commentaries on each letter offer copiously referenced insights on their structure, style, and meaning.

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