THE LETTERS OP PLINY THE YOUNGER AS A SOURCE OP ROHAN PRIVATE LIFE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ATLANTA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS BY LOUIS CARL GREEN DEPARTMENT OF LATH ATLANTA, GEORGIA JULY 1937 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION . 1 II THE ROHAN FAMILY 2 III THE VILLA. 6 IV THE CENA 10 V SLAVES, FREEDMEH, AND CLIENTS. 15 VX EDUCATION «20 VII AMUSEMENTS AND SPORTS. •••.«••••.••••.••25 VIII RELIGION, SUPERSTITIONS, AND FUNERALS 28 H TRAVEL AND CORRESPONDENCE. 35 X SUMMARY. 35 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 39 CHAPTER Z IKTEODUCTIOH The correspondence of Pliny the younger is valuable in that it throws light upon a great variety of topics, and especially in that it presents an agreeable picture of the social life of the Romans dturing the first century* His letters show that he was a highly educated man deal¬ ing with and moving in the best of society. Although they are character¬ ized by affectation and art ific ial Ity, his letters are entertaining as well as informational* Among other things, his letters show an interest in education, in morality, in polities, end social Justice* He gave a more wholesome and more varied picture of Roman society than that of the historian, Taoitus and of the satirist Juvenal, who lived about t o same time, but whose works tended to exaggerate the lurid de¬ tails of contemporary Roman society* Although Pliny did not disouss each phase of Raman life in detail, ho touched upon nearly all sides* The purpose of this thesis is to give an account of the private life of the Ramans as it is revealed in the letters of Pliny, books I-IX. All references not listed in detail in the foot-notes will be made to the two volumes of Pliny*s letters published in the Loeb Classical Li¬ brary, edited by T* E* Page, C» Capps and W* H* D. Rouse* 1 CHAPTER II THE ROMAIC FAMILY The word family (familla) meant more to the Romans than it con¬ notes for us« The Camilla Included all of the people in one household, even the slaves, freediaen and sometimes the clients* The head of the house was called the pater feralliae* and trie authority whioh he held was known as the pa.rla potestas. The power that the pater farailiae exercised over the entire household was supreme* For the slaves, he was sole ruler.2 He also held complete sway over his children who could not legally own property until he emancipated then: ilunc Regulus eraaneipavit, ut here3 raatris exsisteret.** He had the right to say whether a newborn child could be kept in ttie family or not; if he desired it, he lifted the child from the grounds ...erat filia, quam paulo arte sustulerat.4 The fattier was soviet lines very severe in his treatment of his ohildrenj Caatigabat quidam filiun sunn, quod paulo sumptuoaius equos et canes eraeret.5 Pliny did not approve of such severity and admonished Junior thuss Cogita et ilium puerun esse et te fuisse atque ita hoo, quod es pater, utere, ut me ineris et hominem esse te et horainis patrera.® *Book V, ix. ®VIII, xvi (See chanter on Slaves, p. 13 ) 3IV, ii. Sill, xxiii. 6IX, XII. ®Ibid* 2 s Although the rater Camilla» was lord over his household, there existed a high regard for family life. Pliny considered the following as “blessings for Cerellins Rufus t ...owam cusm «înrimas vivendi censés h ah en tern, ontiwam O'-'nseientian, opti* nam fswTii, mxiwam eu etori tâtera, praeterea filiaa, uxorera, neootem, sorores interque tôt pignora veros amioo*. Adultery was a aerious crime in Home and the offenders were pun- ished under the Julian law» . damnata at Juliae laria posais relieta est. 2 which meant exile for one or both persons and forfeiture of the woman's dcwer.^ This desire for purity in the family was carried over Into the Roman system of religion* as in the case of the Vestal Virgins whose punish* ment for incest was death by being buried alive» Misai statiw ponti flees, cuî defodlendam neeandamoue curarent.1 It was thought that the Vestals being daughters of the state, were sitters to all oltisane. With the exception of the Vestal Virgins, the girls married very early* Ant uxorem, qua» virgin*» aecepit.5 *1, xii* *VI, xxxi. Srbid. 4IV, xi. 4 1*5* daughter ©* Puadenus was to h* marriad at thirteen.* Th* fcu»hers3 urns selected by th» parente or a relative, the young w^raa haring aoüiing ts aay la the matter. Plitty sowstiwe# assisted a parant in finding a aaitabla husband* Petis, ut ffetrîs t«i fil la* proapl-îa» an rît«IE*2 After th# husband we* ehosan, th# gIrî bad a forml eereaonial betrothal to which guests were inrited * ...snonsalia eut nuptia# fwwnwratarl*.** It was customary for th* girl to nreaent h*r husband with a dewy.* A Rowan wadding, trhioh was often an elaborate on», was therefore cnit* *Tp#n*ire. Pliny assisted Quintilian in fi nan oing Ms daughter’s (Quintilian*#) wadding* ...eui ratio civilian offieicrum neeee» sitataa cuania* nitoris inmonit, debet secvmdma oondicionee nariti rest*... ooaltatw isstrul.5 Although Pliny thought that th* tendency of hi# age was leaning toward th# snail f*»ily#® It was considered a duty to the state to hare children in the family* lost in hoc Quocue functus est optimi orris officio.? 6 $he Esrrçperor 'Erafa», using Augustus Caesar * 8 î*w t*hS en rrraoted certain priai l*n*B to father* of three legitimate ohîîiren, often weeapted n»a from of***' cial duties: *. «mirer at optiao principe tri un libérons* «1 itte impetravi * * 1 TI# Till* CHAPTER III THE VILLA The -wealthy Roman had a city home and one or more country home* •which he called villa». Pliny, more interested in country life than in city life, gave u» no information concerning his home in the city but de¬ scribed very vividly two of Ms villas* one at Laurentt»* and one at Tus¬ 2 cany. Although the styles of the villas varied, they mere made -n the same general plan and Pliny’s country homes mere more or less typical of the day. The following gives a general idea of the plan of the Laurentine villa. The atrium led into a portico (portions) which had the form of the letter D. Prom an 'nward hall (cavaedlum) that led out from the portico, the dining-room (triclinium) was located. There were folding-doors (valves) or window» (fenestras) on either side of the dining-room* A large bed-ohsmber (oubleulum) was situated on the le^t side of the dining room, and a second smaller one came next* The ansle which the dining-room made with the bed-chamber formed a room which was used as a winter retreat (hiberna oui urn) and sometimes a gyssiasiura (gymnasium). Ad¬ joining this was a room used as a library (bibllotheoa) and behind this was a bed-room (doraitorlum) which had a stove under its hoarded floor and pipes in its wells which conducted the heat to the other rooms t Adhaeret domitorium meubrum transitu interia cent#, qui suspenses et tubulates concentum vaporew ealubri temperament© hue lilueque digerit et ministrat.3 The rest of this side of the house the slaves and froednsen occupied. T On the other side was a very elegant drawing-room (gabIculing polit isaimum), then another room which served as a dining-room joined by other bed-rooms. The cooling-rooms (eella frigidaria), the anointing-room (unctorlua), the furnace (hypooauston ), and the boiler-room followed, Then cane other bathing-rooms (balinel ) and a warm bath ueed for ew? wring. A tennis court (sphaerlsteriam) eould be seen from here. There were two turrets (turris ), one with room both above and below and the other con¬ taining a store-room (apotheca), a barn (horreum) and a dining-room. Besides the villa proper, there were other apartments and ban¬ queting rooms situated in the midst of beautiful flower and vegetable gar¬ dens. Also, there was a windowed portico (cryptoportlone) that served as a retreat for summer and winter* Pliny’s villa at Tuscany was similar to the one Inst described* however, the ball court was larger than the one at Laurentum because Plii*y said that many different kind* of games could be played at the sa^ time on it* Also, at this place there was a hippodr me (hlnpodrowas) that was an arena for equestrian performances. This villa trust hsve had more thus one story,for Pliny referred to stairs (soaiae) which led to various rooms. Though little was said concerning the furnishing of th# villa, Pliny spoke of curtains and shuttersj Cubicala obductis veils opaee nee tame» obscura facio. Qryptoporticus quoque adopertis Inferior?bus fsneetrie tantum umbrae quantum lust?nie habet.* In addition to curtains, writing-desks and dining— ocuchss were mentioned* ..positis ante leetos oathedris amicos..2 Vri, rxi, *7111, xxl. Pliny spoke of the furniture as being very heavy: ".. gran®™ sure lie otilea” ïhe remain» of the ancient villas chow that, like Plla*,'Ts, they war*5 all built on an elaborate plan and afforded the Romans all the recrea¬ tion neeescary in addition to pe&oe end quiet and the other joys of country life. Explanation of Plan 1. atrium 21. hyrsocauston 2,3* portlcus 22* propnifwon 4» area 28* caldarium 6. oavaediuia 24, tepidarium 6. tri-oliaium 25, piacltt* 7* oubioulum (amplum) 26, ephaariatarium 8* oubiculuM (fflinue) 27,28,29,30. diaetaa 9, hibemaeulu» 81, cenatio 10# oubioum S2. oubi cul’un 11* dormi torium 55.