This is the first general introduction to Pliny's Letters published in any language, combining close readings with broader context and adopting a fresh and innovative approach to reading the letters as an artistically structured collection. Chapter 1 traces Pliny's autobiographical narrative throughout the Letters; Chapter 2 undertakes detailed study of Book 6 as an artistic entity; while Chapter 3 sets Pliny's letters within a Roman epistolographical tradition dominated by Cicero and Seneca. Chapters 4 to 7 study thematic letter cycles within the collection, including those on Pliny's famous country villas and his relationships with Pliny the Elder and Tacitus. The final chapter focuses on the 'grand design' which unifies and structures the collection. Four detailed appendices give invaluable historical and scholarly context, including a helpful timeline for Pliny's life and career, detailed bibliographical help on over 30 popular topics in Pliny's letters and a summary of the main characters mentioned in the Letters.
'Gibson and Morello’s volume offers a welcome contribution to recent scholarship on the letters of Pliny the Younger ... [provides] a fresh perspective on Pliny the Younger’s letters … The textual analyses will appeal to many and the highly accessible appendices are broadly useful … The greatest contribution of this volume may be the authors’ insistence that (re)reading Pliny’s letters both linearly and selectively will proffer the greatest appreciation for Pliny’s conscientious attention to the organization and thematic development of his epistolary collection. Moreover, Gibson and Morello’s reading strategies will significantly benefit readers embarking anew on (re)reading the letters.'
Noelle Zeiner-Carmichael Source: The Journal of Roman Studies
Loading metrics...
* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.
Usage data cannot currently be displayed.
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.
Accessibility compliance for the HTML of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.