The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny by Daisy Dunn
When Pliny the Elder perished at Stabiae during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, he left behind an enormous compendium of knowledge, his thirty-seven-volume Natural History, and a teenaged nephew who revered him as a father. Grieving his loss, Pliny the Younger inherited the Elder’s notebooks―filled with pearls of wisdom―and his legacy.
At its heart, The Shadow of Vesuvius is a literary biography of the younger man, who would grow up to become a lawyer, senator, poet, collector of villas, and chronicler of the Roman Empire from the dire days of terror under Emperor Domitian to the gentler times of Emperor Trajan.
A biography that will appeal to lovers of Mary Beard books, it is also a moving narrative about the profound influence of a father figure on his adopted son. Interweaving the younger Pliny’s Letters with extracts from the Elder’s Natural History, Daisy Dunn paints a vivid, compellingly readable portrait of two of antiquity’s greatest minds.
What I knew of Pliny the Elder was that he died near Pompeii. And what I knew of Pliny the Younger was that his career seemed to have started there, being an eye-witness to the eruption, though from a safer distance. When I came across this book, I knew it was one I needed to read.
It doesn’t disappoint. As much as a reader can come to know anyone from almost two thousand years ago, Dunn does an excellent job of bringing these two to life, especially Pliny the Younger. It’s an entertaining read; almost like a novel, except that the reader can tell that much research went into the stories of these two men.
If you’re looking for a book about Vesuvius, I’d give this one a pass. If you’re looking for a book that covers the lives of two intelligent, compelling, and intriguing men of ancient Rome, this just might be for you.
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