Six leaves at the Morgan are all that remain of the earliest known copy of the letters of Pliny the Younger, a Roman lawyer, magistrate, and author. The Letters provide fascinating insights into daily life in first-century Rome—including, most famously, Pliny’s firsthand account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and descriptions of his dealings with the burgeoning Christian community. Although written in Italy, the manuscript survived for centuries in France, eventually forming part of the celebrated library at the Abbey of Saint Victor, near Paris. It was ‘discovered’ there by Renaissance scholars from Italy, who recognized its value as the oldest and most complete copy of Pliny’s text. They sent it to Venice, where it provided the basis for the first printed edition of the Letters in 1508. Probably as a result of this period of intense study and use, the ancient manuscript was dismembered and lost, but for the fragment Pierpont Morgan acquired in 1910.
Fragments from Books II and III of the Letters of Pliny the Younger (61–ca. 113 CE). Written by an unknown scribe in Italy, late fifth century. MS M.462, fol. 1r (detail). Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan in 1910.