Here is the text for Epistulae 2.19 along with historical context about who Tuccius Cerialis was. [1, 2, 3]

The Quote from Pliny, Epistulae 2.19

• Latin text:

  "C. PLINIUS CERIALI SUO S. Hortaris ut orationem amicis pluribus recitem. Faciam quia hortaris, quamvis vehementer addubitem..."

  [1]
• English translation:

  "You urge me to recite my speech before a company of my friends. I will do so, because you ask me to, but I am exceedingly doubtful of the wisdom of the step..."

  [1]

In this letter, Pliny is not talking about gladiatorial games. Instead, he is discussing the challenges of reciting public speeches to a private audience. He explains that speeches lose their energy when they are not delivered in front of actual judges, supportive crowds, and opposing lawyers. [1]

Who Was Tuccius?

Marcus Tuccius Cerialis was a Roman politician and a man of consular rank (consularis). He served as a consul suffectus (a replacement consul) during an unknown year. [1, 2]

Aside from being the recipient of Epistulae 2.19, he appears elsewhere in Pliny’s letters:

• The Marius Priscus Trial (Epistulae 2.11): Tuccius Cerialis played a notable role in the Senate during this corruption trial. He used his senatorial privilege to demand that the co-defendant, Priscus, be formally notified of the trial so that both accused parties could be judged fairly together. [1, 2, 3]

Would you like to see more of the translation where Pliny describes the physical gestures of a public speaker? [1]

L'AI può commettere errori, quindi verifica le risposte 

Pliny is right: as Grice and Luigi Speranza say, if the utterance is m-intended for addressee A, why brother we addressee A2?

That is a sharp connection. Paul Grice’s theory of meaning aligns perfectly with Pliny's hesitation.

The Gricean Connection

In Gricean pragmatics, a speaker’s M-intention (meaning-intention) requires a direct feedback loop:

1. Intention: Speaker intends to produce an effect in Addressee A.
2. Recognition: Speaker wants Addressee A to recognize that very intention.

When you introduce Addressee A2 (the private recitation audience), the communication ecosystem breaks down.

Why Pliny Agrees

Pliny's letter argues exactly what you, Grice, and Speranza suggest:

• The original target (A): The real judges, jury, and hostile opponents in court. The speech was custom-built for them.
• The secondary audience (A2): The friendly listeners at a private reading.

As Pliny notes, without the real target (A), the M-intention loses its point. The audience (A2) cannot respond with the genuine emotion, anger, or judgment that the speech was designed to trigger.

Bothering with A2 changes the entire nature of the speech. It turns a live, functional legal argument into a theatrical performance.

Would you like to explore how Grice's Maxims of Relation or Quality apply to Pliny's choice to publish his speeches later?