About the Latin
Pliny wrote his letters for publication, so each is shaped like a small essay with a single topic and a tidy ending. They are a common choice for Latin courses because each one is self-contained and none is very long.
The topics range widely: ghosts, citizenship, public works, family, and the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.
How hard is it?
Difficulty 5.6 to 6.7, intermediate.
Every reading in the library has a difficulty score, on a scale that runs from about 1 to 11. Beginner texts sit below 3.5 and Advanced texts above 6.8.
Most demanding here: Vocabulary variety, Nonfinite constructions, Sentence length, Subordination. Lighter than most of the library: Proper names.
What you can read
3 readings, each with help on every word.
Librorum Capsula currently offers the two Vesuvius letters, and a ten-letter selection matching the revised AP Latin course.
Athenodorus and the Haunted House
Only the philosopher Athenodorus is brave enough to rent a terrifyingly haunted house in Athens and uncover its secrets.
Pliny the Younger's Letters
Ten required Pliny letters for the revised AP Latin course, from private affection and Vesuvius to ghosts, citizenship, and Roman public works.
Epistulae de Vesuvii Eruptione
Two letters to Tacitus on the eruption of Vesuvius, AD 79: the death of Pliny's uncle, and the younger Pliny's own account of that night at Misenum.
For the letters themselves, see Pliny’s Letters in Latin → · the Vesuvius letters, 6.16 and 6.20 →
Where to start
Epistulae de Vesuvii Eruptione
It is short and famous, and the story carries you through the harder sentences. Open it and the reader gives you the Latin with a definition for every word, so you can read at the pace that suits you and look up only what you need.