Pliny: Hunting With A Notebook

    In Pliny the Younger's personal letter entitled, "Hunting With A Notebook," Pliny cohesively connects two vastly different things: Hunting and a notebook. Hunting became a key piece in Roman culture during the reign of Augustus after the Imperial period of the first century A.D. The Romans forged the goddess of the hunt, Diana, out of the belief that hunting was vital to humanity. Romans hunted almost daily, giving both sacrifices and prayer to Diana before their departure. Commonly, Romans hunted game such as deer, boar, stage and surprisingly birds. Hunting was done both on horseback and foot with weapons such as thrusting and throwing spears, small hunting bow and arrows, slings, nets, and even dogs called ventragus. Romans found joy in hunting, and created it into a popular sporting event. Yet in this letter, Pliny describes a new and unthought of way of hunting.

   To introduce his humorous letter, Pliny informs its readers of the humor within, and that he is weell aware of its unusual content. (Ridebis, et licet rideas)

Pliny begins with an anecdote. He tells us that despite expected disbelief, he himself was able to catch three wild and beautiful boar. Pliny knows that this statement is hard to accept, considering the nature of wild boar, but he doesn't fail to assure us that what he is saying is in fact true. (Ego ille quem nosti apros tres et quidem pulcherrimos cepi, “Ipse?” inquis.  Ipse)

Yet Pliny tells us that he did not use spears or weapons to capture these boar, against common hunting tactics. Pliny informs us that he was waiting near net traps with a stylus and 'notebook,' where he observed nature in a pensive manner. (Ad retia sedebam: erat in proximo non venabulum aut lancea, sed stilus et pugillares; meditabar aliquid enotabamque)

The reason for this, Pliny explains, is that even if he leaves empty handed and with no game, he will have left with new and profound knowledge of both world and animal nature. (ut si manus vacuas, plenas tamen ceras reportarem.)

Pliny assures us that this type of study is reliable and worth-while. (Non est quod contemnas hoc studiendi genus)

  Pliny describes that within the hunting realm, silence is abundant. Yet. Pliny appreciates silence, because it is not only a though inducer, but a vital part of hunting. (Iam undique silvae et solitudo ipsumque illud silentium quod venationi datur magna cogitationis incitamenta sunt.)

With these, tactics, Pliny assures that you may be able to bring home not only food and flesh, but wisdom and knowledge. (Proinde cum venabere, licebit, auctore me, ut panarium et lagunculam, sic etiam pugillares feras.)

Lastly, Pliny metaphorically states that wisdom brings you just as far as brute force in the world of hunting, by giving mention to the goddesses Minerva, of wisdom, and of hunting, Diana. (Experieris non Dianam magis montibus quam Minervam inerrare.)