Pliny Letter 6.16 1 - 22 (Section 2.1 and 2.2 AP Latin 2026)

C. Plīnius Tacitō suō s.

Petis ut tibi avunculī meī exitum scrībam, quō vērius trādere posterīs possīs.

Gaius Pliny sends greetings to his dear Tacitus,

You ask that I write to you the death of my uncle, by which you may be able to hand over to the future generations more accurately.

Grātiās agō; nam videō mortī eius, sī celebrētur ā tē, immortālem glōriam esse prōpositam

I give thanks; for I see that the immortal glory has been put forth for his death if he were to be celebrated by you.

2. Quamvīs enim pulcherrimārum clāde terrārum, ut populī ut urbēs memorābilī cāsū, quasi semper vīctūrus occiderit, quamvīs ipse plūrima opera et mānsūra condiderit, multum tamen perpetuitātī eius scrīptōrum tuōrum aeternitās addet.

For although he died, as if going to live forever, in the destruction of the most beautiful lands, just as the peoples and just as cities (died) with a memorable downfall, and although he himself accomplished many and going to last works, nevertheless the eternity of your writings will add much to the legacy of him

3. Equidem beātōs putō, quibus deōrum mūnere datum est aut facere scrībenda aut scrībere legenda, beātissimōs vērō quibus utrumque.

Indeed, I think them blessed, to whom it was given by the gift of the gods either to do things to be written or to write things to be read, but truly most blessed to whom both (were given).

Hōrum in numerō avunculus meus et suīs librīs et tuīs erit. Quō libentius suscipiō, dēposcō etiam quod iniungis.

My uncle will be in the count of those people, both by his books and by yours. By which I rather gladly undertake, I even demand what you enjoin.

4. Erat Mīsēnī classemque imperiō praesēns regēbat. Nōnum Kal. Septembrēs hōrā ferē septimā māter mea indicat eī appārēre nūbem inūsitātā et magnitūdine et speciē.

He was at Misenum and he, present, was ruling the fleet with imperium. On the ninth day before the Kalends of September, almost at the seventh hour, my mother points out to him that a cloud is appearing with both an unusual size and appearance.

5. Ūsus ille sōle, mox frīgidā, gustāverat iacēns studēbatque; poscit soleās, ascendit locum ex quō maximē mīrāculum illud cōnspicī poterat.

He, having enjoyed the sun, (and) soonafter cold water, he had eaten lying down and was studying; he demands slippers, he climbs a place from which that strange thing was especially able to be seen.

Nūbēs (incertum procul intuentibus ex quō monte; Vesuvium fuisse posteā cognitum est) oriēbātur, cuius similitūdinem et fōrmam nōn alia magis arbor quam pīnus expresserit.

The cloud was rising (it was uncertain for those watching from afar from what mountain; afterwards, it was known that it had been Vesuvius), whose likeness and form, no other tree expressed more than the pine.

6. Nam longissimō velut truncō ēlāta in altum quibusdam rāmīs diffundēbātur, crēdō quia recentī spīritū ēvecta, dein senēscente eō dēstitūta aut etiam pondere suō victa in lātitūdinem vānēscēbat, candida interdum, interdum sordida et maculōsa prout terram cineremve sustulerat.

For it, having been carried up as though with a long trunk into the high, was pouring out in certain branches, I think because it, having been carried forth by recent breath, then abandoned by it growing old, or even conquered by its own weight, it was vanishing into its sides, sometimes white, sometimes dirty and speckled as though it had raised earth or ash.

7.Magnum propiusque nōscendum, ut ērudītissimō virō, vīsum. Iubet liburnicam aptārī; mihi sī venīre ūnā vellem facit cōpiam; respondī studēre mē mālle, et forte ipse quod scrīberem dederat.

He ordered a fast boat to be prepared; he makes an opportunity for me if I wished to come as one; I responded that I preferred to study and by chance he himself had given that which I might write.

8. Ēgrediēbātur domō; accipit cōdicillōs Rectīnae Tascī imminentī perīculō exterritae - nam villa eius subiacēbat, nec ūlla nisī nāvibus fuga—ut sē tantō discrīminī ēriperet ōrābat.

He was going from the house; he receives the letters of Rectina of Tascus, terrified of the imminent danger (for the house of her was lying under, and there was not any escape unless by ships): she was begging that he snatch her from so great a crisis.

9. Vertit ille cōnsilium et quod studiōsō animō incohāverat obit maximō.

That one changed the plan and what had started with a studious mind, he approached with the greatest heart.

Dēdūcit quadrirēmēs, ascendit ipse nōn Rectīnae modō sed multīs—erat enim frequēns amoenitās ōrae—lātūrus auxilium.

He leads away the quadriremes, he himself climbs not only to Rectina but also many – for pleasantness of the short was crowded – intending to bring help.

10. Properat illūc unde aliī fugiunt, rēctumque cursum rēcta gubernācula in perīculum tenet adeō solūtus metū, ut omnēs illīus malī mōtūs omnēs figūrās, ut dēprēnderat oculīs, dictāret ēnotāretque.

He hurries to there from where others flee, and he holds the straight course and rudders straight into the danger, having been unbound from so much fear, that he dictated and noted all the motion, all the shapes of that evil thing as he had captured with his eyes.

11. Iam nāvibus cinis incidēbat, quō propius accēderent, calidior et dēnsior; iam pūmicēs etiam nigrīque et ambustī et frāctī igne lapidēs; iam vadum subitum ruīnāque montis lītora obstantia.

The ash was already falling on the ships, by however much closer they approached, the hotter and denser; now even pumice rocks and stones black and scorched and fractured by fire; now there was a sudden shoal and the shore blocking with the downfall of the mountain.

Cūnctātus paulum an retrō flecteret, mox gubernātōrī ut ita faceret monentī ‘Fortēs,’ inquit, ‘fortūna iuvat: Pomponiānum pete.’

Having wavered in thought for a little whether he would turn back, soon he says to the helmsman, warning that he do thusly, “fortune favors the brave: seek Pomponianus.”

12. Stabiīs erat dirēmptus sinū mediō—nam sēnsim circumāctīs curvātīsque lītoribus mare īnfunditur—ibi quamquam nōndum perīculō appropinquante, cōnspicuō tamen et cum crēsceret proximō, sarcinās contulerat in nāvēs, certus fugae sī contrārius ventus resēdisset

At Stabia, he had been separated by the middle bay–for the sea is being poured on the shore having been rounded and curved gradually—although with the danger not yet approaching there, though visible and nearest when rising, he had carried the bags onto the ships, certain of flight is the contrary wind had settled.

Quō tunc avunculus meus secundissimō invectus, complectitur trepidantem cōnsōlātur hortātur, utque timōrem eius suā sēcūritāte lēnīret, dēferrī in balineum iubet; lōtus accubat cēnat, aut hilaris aut—quod aequē magnum—similis hilarī.

Then by which most favorable (wind) then my uncle was conveyed, he hugs the trembling one, he consoles him, he encourages him, and in order to assuage he fears by the confidence of his, he orders to be carried into the bathtub; having been washed, he reclines, he dines, either cheerful or appearing cheerful which is equally great

Interim ē Vesuviō monte plūribus locīs lātissimae flammae altaque incendia relūcēbant, quōrum fulgor et clāritās tenebrīs noctis excitābātur.

Meanwhile, from the Vesuvius mountain, in many places, the broadest fires and the tall fires, whose lightning and clarity were being brought forth by the darkness of the night.

Ille agrestium trepidātiōne ignēs relictōs dēsertāsque vīllās per sōlitūdinem ārdēre in remedium formīdinis dictitābat.

The uncle kept saying that the fires, abandoned by the worry of the farmers and that the houses, having been deserted, were burning on account of the loneliness as a cure of their fear.

Tum sē quiētī dedit et quiēvit vērissimō quidem somnō; nam meātus animae, quī illī propter amplitūdinem corporis gravior et sonantior erat, ab eīs quī līminī obversābantur audiēbātur.

Then he gave himself to rest and indeed rested with a very genuine sleep; for the motion of his breathing, which was quite serious and rather loud because of the breadth of the body for that one, was heard by those people, who were turning about the doorway. 

Sed ārea ex quā diaeta adībātur ita iam cinere mixtīsque pūmicibus opplēta surrēxerat, ut sī longior in cubiculō mora, exitus negārētur. Excitātus prōcēdit, sēque Pomponiānō cēterīsque quī pervigilāverant reddit.

But the courtyard, from which the bedroom was approached, now filled with ash and mixed pumice had risen up in such a way that if there were a longer delay, the exit would be denied.

Excitātus prōcēdit, sēque Pomponiānō cēterīsque quī pervigilāverant reddit.

Having been woken, he proceeded and returned himself to Pomponianus and the others who had stayed awake all night.

In commūne cōnsultant, intrā tēcta subsistant an in apertō vagentur.

They consult with each other, whether they should stay inside buildings or wander in the open.

Nam crēbrīs vastīsque tremōribus tēcta nūtābant, et quasi ēmōta sēdibus suīs nunc hūc nunc illūc abīre aut referrī vidēbantur.

For the buildings were wobbling with frequent and huge tremors, and as if removed from their own foundations they seemed to go now hither, now thither or to go back and forth.