Definition

Proper noun A Roman author, administrator, and lawyer who lived from 61/62 AD to approximately 113 AD. He is known for his published collection of private letters, which provide a detailed and vivid account of Roman social life, politics, and history during the reigns of emperors Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan. He was the nephew and adopted son of the naturalist and statesman Pliny the Elder.

Examples of Usage

• As a subject: * is often referred to simply as Pliny the Younger to distinguish him from his uncle.*
• In historical context:
• Referencing his work:

Advanced Usage

• "The Letters of Pliny the Younger": This is the standard title for his surviving literary work, a collection of ten books of highly polished correspondence.
  • "The Letters of Pliny the Younger" offer a unique perspective on the legal and social customs of the time.

Variants and Related Words

• Pliny the Younger: The most common and conventional name used in English to refer to him. This name directly contrasts with his uncle, Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus).
• Plinius Minor: The Latin equivalent of "Pliny the Younger."

Synonyms

• Pliny the Younger (Primary synonym in English)
• Pliny (Context-dependent; requires clarification to avoid confusion with Pliny the Elder)

Related Phrases and Contexts

• Plinian eruption: A term in volcanology for a particularly violent type of volcanic eruption, named after Pliny the Elder's description of the Vesuvius event, which was recorded by Pliny the Younger.
  • The volcano produced a Plinian eruption column that was described by Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus.
• The Panegyricus: A published, formal speech of praise he delivered to Emperor Trajan, which is often studied alongside his letters.
  • In The Panegyricus, Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus publicly thanked the emperor Trajan.

Noun

1. Roman writer and nephew of Pliny the Elder; author of books of letters that commented on affairs of the day (62-113)