Pliny and Emperor Trajan

In the next section of the course, we will be reading letters both in English and Latin. While some of the letters you read will be written by Marcus Tullius Cicero, we are going to focus on two individuals: Pliny the Younger and Emperor Trajan, whose correspondence you will read in both Latin and English.

Pliny the Younger

Gaius Caecilius Secundus was born in 62 CE in northern Italy. His father died while Pliny was very young. Raised by his mother, Pliny was adopted by his maternal uncle, known as Pliny the Elder. As was the custom of Romans, he assumed his uncle's name and is known as Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus: Pliny the Younger.

Pliny received a classical Roman education with its emphasis on rhetoric. Among his teachers was Quintilian, one of the most influential authors of his age. When Pliny was seventeen, his uncle, Pliny the Elder, died while attempting to rescue Pompeians fleeing the eruption of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. The younger Pliny inherited his uncle's considerable estate. Added to the inheritance from his father, Pliny's wealth was abundant and allowed him to pursue a political career.

In the following years, Pliny set out on his public career following the course of other Romans and climbing the political ladder (cursus honorum). Among other positions, he served as quaestor, tribune of the people, praetor, prefect of the treasury, and at the age of 38, consul. As a result of his political offices, he became a member of the Roman senate. During the course of his career, Pliny gained skills as an accountant, a rare talent in ancient Rome. In fulfilling his various political positions Pliny traveled extensively throughout the empire. His success in the political arena is impressive when one recalls the turmoil of the times and the turnover in the emperorship. A Roman had to have exceptional talent and interpersonal skills to survive the varying personalities of the succession of emperors.

During these years Pliny put his training in rhetoric to good use. He pleaded a number of cases in the courts, with a focus on cases involving inheritance. He also was active in the trials of several provincial governors who were accused of corruption while carrying out their provincial duties. Pliny's last known political appointment was as the emperor Trajan's personal ambassador in Bithynia-Pontus. While serving in this capacity, Pliny wrote numerous letters to Trajan seeking his advice on problems he was addressing. Pliny's letters and Trajan's responses survive and give us an insight into the governing of a province.

Pliny was married three times. Little is known of his first two wives. We do know more about his third wife, Calpurnia, to whom he was devoted. We learn of this devotion through his letters. Pliny had no children. It is assumed that he died in 115 CE since there are no letters or other evidence of his activities after this date.

Emperor Trajan

Born in Spain in 53 CE, Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus spent the early years of his life in the military fighting in Syria and along the Rhine River. He held a number of political offices including quaestor, praetor, and consul. In 97 CE he was adopted by the recently appointed emperor Nerva who was facing a revolt by the praetorian guard. Nerva's adoption of Trajan quelled the revolt. Trajan succeeded to the emperorship peacefully on Nerva's death in 98 CE.

Unlike his earlier predecessor Domitian, Trajan had an excellent relationship with the senate. Although he governed absolutely, he, nevertheless, ruled fairly and without the bloodshed of Domitian. He freed unjustly imprisoned individuals, returned private property that had been confiscated, and treated people with respect. The senate recognized Trajan's excellent reign with the title of "Optimus."

Trajan undertook many projects to improve the lives of the people living in the provinces. He was especially interested in seeing that the children of Italy did not starve and that they received an education. To improve the lives of those living in the provinces, Trajan established a group of administrators, correctores, who went into the provinces to restore financial stability. Pliny the Younger is the most well-known of these correctores.

Image: a picture of one section of Trajan's Column Trajan's reign is most well-known for his military feats. After several years of fighting, Trajan defeated Dacia (north of the Danube River in modern day Romania) in 106 CE and established it as a province. Dacia's gold mines helped to restore the financial drain on the empire caused by the years of fighting and enabled Trajan to begin an extensive building program which included a new forum, new baths, a large aqueduct (the last to be built in Rome), improvement in a number of ports, extension of the road system throughout the empire, and repair of the Circus Maximus. The celebration of the victory over Dacia was extravagant, lasting 123 days. Trajan's column was erected to commemorate the victory.

Trajan spent the last years of his life fighting in Parthia where he experienced moderate success. This was followed by revolts of the Jews and Mesopotamians. Because of his military difficulties, Trajan withdrew to Syria. He was on his way back to Rome in 117 CE when he suffered a stroke and soon died. His ashes were buried at the base of the column celebrating his victory in Dacia.

Pliny and Trajan - Correspondence

In 110 CE Pliny was appointed governor of Bithynia, a province in the eastern portion of the empire. This appointment was unusual in that it was made by the emperor Trajan rather than by the senate. Pliny was accorded special authority and status. While serving in this capacity, Pliny frequently wrote to Trajan reporting on the situation and asking for Trajan's advice. These letters are invaluable because they give us information about the governance of the provinces that can be found nowhere else.

One of Pliny's most famous letters is the one in which he writes to Trajan asking for advice in dealing with the Christians. The problem was that these Christians were violating Roman law. They were meeting in secret and they refused to worship the official gods and the image of the emperor - acts of treason. This letter is one of the earliest historical references to the Christian religion.

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