PLINY AND THE ROMAN WORLD (REMOTE)

Pliny the Younger (ca. 61-113 CE) was a well-respected senator, orator and administrator during the reigns of the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan. Using his letters as a starting point, we will explore various aspects of upper-class Roman society in the first and very early second century of the Roman Empire. Pliny’s letters touch on a wide range of topics, including marriage, slavery, private property, literature, philanthropy and the destruction of Pompeii (where his uncle, Pliny the Elder, died during the famous eruption). We will also examine provincial administration and Pliny’s relationship with the emperor Trajan, letters between whom include a discussion of how to respond to the rise of Christianity.