Space and Spatial Metaphor in the Texts of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger

Abstract

This thesis looks at the use of spatial images and metaphors in the works of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. It considers natural and architectural spaces in the works of both authors and explores how each made use of this imagery to serve the aims of his texts. While acknowledging the important differences between the two men and their works, the study aims to show that a sustained reading of the two authors alongside one another is a productive and worthwhile endeavour, and one which can enrich our understanding of their respective texts. The main focus of the study is on the works of these authors, but the thesis also offers a contribution to studies of literary representations of the built world and of the environment in the first and second centuries CE.