The collection of Pliny's letters is divided into ten books.
His career as a young man is described in the earlier letters, which include tributes to notable figures. Advice is offered to friends, references are given, political support is discussed and Pliny comments on many other aspects of Roman life. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius is detailed in two letters in Book Six. They were written to the historian Tacitus, a close friend. Pliny also wrote letters describing the gardens at his country villas. The tenth book contains letters to and from the emperor Trajan.
The most famous literary figure to appear in Pliny's letters is his uncle, Pliny the Elder. His nephew provides details of how his uncle worked tirelessly to finish his magnum opus, the
Historia Naturalis
(
Natural History
). As heir to his uncle's estate, Pliny the Younger inherited the Elder's large library, benefiting from the acquisition. Pliny's letters about his gardens are the world's oldest sources of the information on how gardens were used in the ancient world and the considerations that went into their design.
This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.