Pliny's Epistolary Dreams and the Ghost of Domitian
Y Baraz - Transactions of the American Philological Association …, 2012 - JSTOR
Y Baraz
Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), 2012•JSTORLetters that report dreams and visions showcase Pliny's concern with controlling
interpretation. I argue that in two letters on dreams Pliny advocates a confrontational
response to negative dreams as a successful paradigm. I then read a letter that addresses
the issue of the existence of ghosts with three tales. By comparing the first two tales with
other versions by Tacitus and Lucian I analyze the implications of the letter's structure and
show how Pliny carefully crafts his narratives in an attempt to control the reader's …
interpretation. I argue that in two letters on dreams Pliny advocates a confrontational
response to negative dreams as a successful paradigm. I then read a letter that addresses
the issue of the existence of ghosts with three tales. By comparing the first two tales with
other versions by Tacitus and Lucian I analyze the implications of the letter's structure and
show how Pliny carefully crafts his narratives in an attempt to control the reader's …
Letters that report dreams and visions showcase Pliny's concern with controlling interpretation. I argue that in two letters on dreams Pliny advocates a confrontational response to negative dreams as a successful paradigm. I then read a letter that addresses the issue of the existence of ghosts with three tales. By comparing the first two tales with other versions by Tacitus and Lucian I analyze the implications of the letter's structure and show how Pliny carefully crafts his narratives in an attempt to control the reader's interpretation of the final story, crucial to his career under Domitian and his future reputation.
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