In the Shadow of Vesuvius, by Daisy Dunn (2019) is subtitled a Biography of Pliny the Younger. The author has her doctorate from London University, but does not have an academic position and seems to be well-regarded by historians in Britain.

Although called a biography of the Younger, it also has a lot about his uncle, the Elder. I did pick up some new information from the book, but I cannot say it was earth-shattering. It has almost nothing about the Younger’s life before the eruption of Vesuvius. There is no information about his parents or why, when his father died when he was young, he ended up with his mother’s family and not his father’s. The Elder, of course, was his mother’s brother and adopted him posthumously. 

The book does not follow a chronological order; it is rather arranged by topic. I am sure CANE members know of his contributions to the wellbeing of Como, the family’s home region. But I was interested to learn that one of the Younger’s estates has been located on Bellagio; I have been to Bellagio and saw no mention of it.

A whole chapter is devoted to his Tuscan estate, describing its layout, management and produce. I was surprised to discover that it was one of the prime wine suppliers to the City of Rome itself. Apparently, being on the headwaters of the Tiber, it had a shipping advantage. As a wine drinker, I would have liked more discussion of this; I doubt that it was made from Sangiovese as are modern Tuscan wines (Chianti, super Tuscan).

Throughout the book there are comparisons with his uncle, particularly regarding religion. The Elder was quite clearly a real Stoic, while the Younger was not. The author has trouble trying to fit him into any prevalent school, but makes it very clear he was not Stoic. Similarly, there is very little on his time in Bithynia or his other government services. And his relationships with Tacitus and Suetonius are merely mentioned, never explored.

I picked this book up because I have always had a desire to read a science-fiction story with the Younger as a time-traveler who got stranded after going to see the eruption. But for the CANE readership, this might be a worthwhile read.

By: Daniel A. Bronstein, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University