Pliny The Younger Flashcards
Important points in career (Cursus Honorum)
Military
Finance inspector
People
Minister of state in law
Chief minister
Provincial Govenor
Priest
Imperial Governor
Supervise public places, games, grain supply
Tribunus militia (staff officer) Legio III Gallica in Syria 81, Prefect of the military treasuries and treasury of Saturn 94-100
Quaestor Imperitas on the Emperor’s staff 88/89, finance administrators of state treasury
Tribune of the people 91 AD (protective of the plebeians)
Praetor ( judge) 93
Consul with Cornutus Tertullus 100
Propraetor of Bythynia 103
Augur 103-104
Legates Augusti of Bythynia et Pontus province 110 (died there 112)
Aedile
Who
When
Where
Emperors served
What was thought of him
Pliny the Younger (adopted by his uncle Pliny the Elder) of equestrian rank - equite lower order of the Roman aristocratic orders
61-112 AD
Born in Novum Conum ( Como Northern Italy)
Trajan 98 - 117 AD, Domitian who was paranoid
An honest, loyal and moderate man who had republican sympathies he was too scared to reveal, a lawyer, famous letter writer Epistulae
His ethos
Patronage e.g. By Pliny in his letter to Trajan recommending Rosianus Geminus an o,d soldier and quaestor he knew
10 Books - first nine personal letters, 10th his personal correspondence with Trajan
Writing of letters - epistolary
A desire to always be seen as acting with propriety and honourably, paragon of virtue as befits an equite’s/senator’s reputation, an idealised way of behaviour
The letters are a biography of himself a self-portrait showing him as he wanted to be seen and judged
Compassionate letter to Aefulanus Marcellinus on the death of his 14 year old daughter - ‘a raw wound shrinks from a healing hand but later permits and even sees help’
This in contrast to Seneca’s letters of bereavement who said ‘those who have assumed an indulgence in grief should be rebuked forthwith’ (4BC to AD65)
Roman Curses Honorum
Finance officer of state treasury
Protector of plebeians
Games and grain
Senatorial list management carried out census of people and and re tax
Judges or provincial governors
Chief magistrates
Quaestor
Tribune
Aediles
Censors
Praetors
Consuls
Assemblies
Of the Curiae
Of the Centuries,
Of the tribes
(oldest) ceremonial clan functions
Elected Consuls, Praetors, Censors, declared war, court of appeal - richest, smallest, individual votes counted for more 193 of these determined by wealth, the richest were the smallest and voting stopped when a majority was reached so the largest sometimes didn’t get a chance to vote
Elected magistrates, voted yes or no on laws
