Gloy=man Stories

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 February 1912, Page 4

Gloy=man Stories

PLINY TEE YOUNGER. j One, of the chief results of a study I of Pliny the Younger, is that wo obtain a first hand impression of the Christians during the interesting first century of their existence. He was born about the time of Paul's death, and died somewhere between 107 and 110 A.D. The works, as we know them, consist of letters to his friends. Probably they were not intended for perusal by any but those friends to whom they were addressed. However, apart from their being such perfect models as epistles, they are of great interest to the world, for two reasons:—!. They give us the only contemporary picture of the first great eruption of Vesuvius; and secondly, they contain the only classical account of importance of the Roman view of the life and conduct of the Christians in the early days of Christianity. As for Pliny Wmself, it will bo well just to say that he is called " The Younger'" to distinguish him from his uncle who was a celebrated naturalist. Great pains were taken with his education : and he profited by the instruction given to such an extent that he produced | A GREEK TRAGEDY in his fourteenth year.

Ho studied law, and made such progress that at the early age of nineteen he wars an advocate, pleading in the Forum. Many publio offices were given to him in rapid succession. Acting as praetor for several towns, lie bocamo consul in the year 100 A.D.; and in the same year wrote the famous panegyric on the Emperor Trajan. Onr indebtedness to him is due to features of hie letter's, of which, probably, he was unconscious. Certain it is, that when writing those letters ho would not imagine that he was making the account of the public and private life of the upper classes of Heme which would become the standard authority on the subject eighteen hundred years after him. From these loiters we get impressions of society during the reigns of Domitian and Trajan. THE CRUEL ACTS OF DOMITIAN. make him very much distressed. The Emperor's informers are so unprincipled and irresponsible. The philosophers are exiled, and many reformers become so heart-sick of the realised impossibility of effecting ! any true improvement that suicides are committed amongst them, and such suicide* are looked upon as martyrs to liberty. In one letter Pliny describes himself as being scorched with tlie thunderbolts that fell from the Emperor's clouds and struck down so many o'f his friends.

But in later letters wo find traces of improvement. Nerva is instrumental in putting mi end to the terrible reign of the unscrupulous informers; and tlien Trajan follows and punishes the governors of provinces who had ruled, not hy any guide of rightness or jn.stcio, hut bv the RULE OF THE LARGEST BRIBE. It had been known that such things had taken place largely; but until Trajan ruled no one dared move in the matter. [liny, being one of the advocates for the prosecutions, knew a great deal about the details of the whole crisis. Thus his lettore are most valuable in throwing light on this interesting period. From the many references in these letters to the scheming or orators one would gather that it would be very diificult to arrive at a genuine public opinion. Hired applauders were to be had by the highest bidder. With such an institution it would be almost impossible to secure the truth of the public sentiment concerning the merit of any subject dealt with by the speaker. These HfR.ED APPLAUDERS were also used in the publication of a book. What means were employed for the duplication of the works of literature and their distribution ' I cannot understand, but both Hor- j ace and Pliny speak of printing, publishers and booksellers. It may '

have been that duplicates were made by hand, and yet there are indications of moro rapid processes. But whatever means of printing and publishing wore resorted to, the method of making them known to the public is quito cleai' from these lotters of Pliny. The authors would read their compositions to the public in the Forum; or learn them off by heart and declaim them as recitations. And just as the English publishing world of to-day watches the Bisons most suitable, so the Romans , of the finst century would select the time of year when the nobles would be in the city. They would then send out invitations to the patrons to attend the recitations of PROPOSED NEW BOOKS Pliny, in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, says: "A pamphlet was issued anonymously, containing thj names of «. number of people," etc; j this fact suggosting some kind of cir- | dilation. And, a gin in, just as wo / to-day insert advertisements in ! newspapers, sounding the praises of ■ these forthcoming works, in Rome ;tho hirelings would gather around : the reciters and praise the merits of | the composition to the listeners, and | give great rounds of applause at the conclusion of the various periods. Though (hero is similarity in the mim, there is great contrast in the methods of the ancient and modern ! means of advertising. Certainly the ancient is the moro pictur*/|t>o In fact, a lovely scorn', may be imagined. The setting of the Architectural surroundings with marblo corinthian columns, mosaic pavements, the brightly-coloured Roman robes, the loungers and all the other adjuncts of the Forum. Certainly more picturesque than the publishers' columns of the daily newspapers.

j _ The open-air aspect of this Roman [life is a, good feature. Of course, | the Roman climato would render this possible, where the English climate would not. There seemed to be no great hall in which to hold demonstrations of a political nature. All such gatherings took place in the middle day and frith the blue sky as tho roof.