Pliny was present at the festivities at Lake Fucinus in A.D. 52 (xxxiii. 63). During Nero's reign he spent some time in Campania (ii. 180) and Cisalpine Gaul (xxxv. 20), was a spectator at the Vatican games in A.D. 59, and saw the building of Nero's golden house after the fire of A.D. 64 (xxxvi. iii). Under Vespasian Pliny was procurator in Italy, and in several of the provinces: Sueton. _vit._, 'Procurationes splendidissimas et continuas summa integritate administravit.' (_a_) Hispania Tarraconensis: Plin. _Ep._ iii. 5, 17, 'cum procuraret in Hispania'; (_b_) Gallia Narbonensis: _N.H._ ii. 150, 'ego vidi in Vocontiorum agro'; (_c_) Gallia Belgica: xviii. 183, 'nec recens subtrahemus exemplum in Treverico agro tertio ante hoc anno compertum'; (_d_) Africa: vii. 36, 'ipse in Africa vidi.' For his intimacy with Vespasian cf. Plin. _Ep._ iii. 5, 9, 'ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem ... inde ad delegatum sibi officium.' In A.D. 79 Pliny was in command of the fleet at Misenum, when his scientific interest in the eruption of Vesuvius led him to approach too near the volcano, with the result that he was suffocated by the ashes (24th August). For a detailed account of his death, see Plin. _Ep._ vi. 16 (to Tacitus). Cf. Sueton. _vit._, 'Periit clade Campaniae. Cum enim Misenensi classi praeesset, et flagrante Vesuvio ad explorandas propius causas liburnica pertendisset, neque adversantibus ventis remeare posset, vi pulveris ac favillae oppressus est, vel, ut quidam existimant, a servo suo occisus, quem aestu deficiens ut necem sibi maturaret oraverit.' (2) WORKS. A chronological list of Pliny's writings is given by his nephew (_Ep._ iii. 5). 1. _De iaculatione equestri_.--'Hunc, cum praefectus alae militaret, pari ingenio curaque composuit.' This manual on the javelin as a cavalry weapon is mentioned by Pliny himself, _N.H._ viii. 162, 'Nos diximus in libro de iaculatione equestri condito.' 2. _De vita Pomponii Secundi_, in two Books, a tribute to the memory of a valued friend, the tragic poet Pomponius. Cf. _N.H._ xiv. 56, 'referentes vitam Pomponii Secundi vatis.' 3. _Bella Germaniae_, in twenty Books, a narrative of the Roman wars in Germany; begun by Pliny when serving in that country, the apparition of Drusus having besought him to rescue his name from oblivion (so Pliny the younger). Cf. Tac. _Ann._ i. 69, 'Tradit C. Plinius, Germanicorum bellorum scriptor.' 4. _Studiosus_, in three Books or six parts, a treatise on rhetoric from the very rudiments. Quintilian, though surprised at some of Pliny's views (xi. 3, 143; 148), numbers him among the more careful exponents of the subject (iii. 1, 21, 'accuratius scripsit'). The book contained models of good style: Gell. ix. 16, 1, 'refert plerasque sententias quas in declamandis controversiis lepide arguteque dictas putat.'