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universos ut a me rationes coloniae legerentur, numquam tamen esse lectas ab ullo proconsulum, habuisse privilegium et vetustissimum morem arbitrio suo rem publicam administrare. Exegi ut quae dicebant quaeque recitabant libello conplecte- 2 rentur, quem tibi qualem acceperam misi, quamvis intellegerem pleraque ex illo ad id de quo quaeritur non pertinere. Te rogo 3 ut mihi praeire digneris quid me putes observare debere. Vereor enim ne aut excessisse aut non inplesse officii mei partes videar.

I rationes, Ald. ; stationes, Avant. 6 ad id, Cat.

addi, Avant. and Ald.

may have been sent out by Augustus, who does not, however, mention Bithynia among the provinces to which he had sent colonists. Momms. Res gest. div. Aug. p. 83. Its full title, as we know from coins, was Colonia Iulia Concordia Augusta Apamea, Eckhel, ii 406; and see C. I. L. iii 335; Plin. h. n. 5, 32. From the Digest, 50, 15, 1, 10, we learn that Apamea possessed the ‘ius Italicum'; in other words, that it was exempted from the poll-tax and the landtax; that its landholders had quiritary ownership of the soil, and could apply the legal processes of usucapio, in iure cessio, mancipatio and vindicatio; Marquadt, Staatsverw. i p. 91. An inscr. in Orell. 3311 mentions a road restored and paved, ab Apamea ad Nicaeam.'

cognoscere publicos debitores, etc. Cf. on Ep. 17, reipubl. Prusensium impendia reditus debitores excutio.' The colonies and towns of Latin right were not, like the civitates foederatae, beyond the interference of the provincial governors, but practically their municipal affairs were left to their own management. Otherwise Spain, on the whole of which Vespasian conferred the 'ius Latii,' would have been entirely exempt from governor's interference; but Plin. h. n. 3, 12, reckons the colonies as belonging to the several conventus, thus proving that in judicial matters they were subject to the governor's tribunal. Even

a

as regards the various free cities in Greece, their liberties, as Mommsen says, Rom. Gesch. 5, p. 263, were liable to be overturned by a stroke of the proconsul's pen.

coloniae. Dio Chrysostom expatiates

7 praecipere, Avant. praeire, B. and Ald.

on the colonial position of Apamea in Or. xli, pp. 103-105.

ab ullo proconsulum. Cf. Ep. 33, § 5.

privilegium. Cf. Ep. 109, nam sive habent privilegium quo ceteris creditoribus anteponantur,' etc.

arbitrio suorem publicam administrare, not, however, according to its own laws, as in the case of the civitates foederatae. Cf. Ep. 92.

§ 2. quae dicebant, their statements; quae recitabant, their citations, from such documents as the lex coloniae, etc. Cf. Cic. pro Flacc. 17, 40, ' Qui de tabulis publicis recitat iis, quae in accusatoris potestate fuerunt, non debet habere auctoritatem.'

libello, is a memorial or petition, Suet. Aug. 53, 'Promiscuis salutationibus admittebat et plebem, tanta comitate adeuntium desideria excipiens, ut quemdam ioco corripuerit, quod sic sibi libellum porrigere dubitaret quasi elephanto stipem,' and id. ib. 50, 'in diplomatibus libellisque et epistulis signandis initio Sphinge usus est. The officer or secretary who had the charge of answering the libelli was said 'libellos agere' cf. Dig. 20, 5, 12 libellos agente Papiniano.' His usual title was a libellis,' Suet. Dom. 14, 'Epaphroditum a libellis capitali poena condemnavit,' Wilm. 1249 b.; cf. Ep. 59.

·

§3. praeire digneris. Cf. Ep. 43, § 4. vereor enim ne. Cf. Ep. 45. Pliny's extreme diffidence gives a certain monotony to his style. Avantius reads 'praecipere,' but this is corrected from Iucundus in the margin of the Bodleian copy to 'praeire.'

XLVIII [LVII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

I Libellus Apameorum quem epistulae tuae iunxeras remisit mihi necessitatem perpendendi qualia essent, propter quae videri volunt eos qui pro consulibus hanc provinciam obtinuerunt abstinuisse inspectatione rationum suarum, cum, ipse ut eas 2 inspiceres, non recusaverint. Remuneranda est igitur probitas eorum, ut iam nunc sciant hoc quod inspecturus es ex mea voluntate salvis quae habent privilegiis esse facturum.

I

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4 cum ipse (ut eas inspiceres) non

rescusaverim, Avant.

cum ipsum te ut eas inspic. non recusaverint, Ald.

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proconsuls. The prima editio' here reads 'cum ipse (ut eas nspiceres) non recusaverim."

iam nunc, for the moment. Trajan leaves the general question as to their liability to inspection undecided; and the words videri volunt' imply that Trajan was not quite satisfied on the point. The present inspection, however, is all that he lays stress on at present, and as they consent to this, it may be put down on this occasion to the emperor's special wish, the question of privilege being left for future consideration.

hoc quod inspecturus es facturum, 'that you are going to carry out this inspection'; hoc' is not the antecedent of 'quod': the relative clause is simply explanatory of 'hoc.'

XLVIIII [LVIII]

De religioso templo transferendo

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Ante adventum meum, domine, Nicomedenses priori foro novum adicere coeperunt, cuius in angulo est aedes vetustissima `

§ 1. Before my arrival, sire, the people of Nicomedeia began to build a new forum in addition to the one they had before. In a corner of it stands an ancient temple of the Great Mother,' which must be either restored or removed to a fresh

site, because it is on a lower level than the buildings which are now being raised. § 2. When I inquired whether the temple was subject to any special condition, I found that the manner of dedication here differs from ours. Therefore consider,

Matris Magnae aut reficienda aut transferenda; ob hoc praecipue, quod est multo depressior opere eo quod cum maxime

2 quod cum maxime, Gruter.

quod nunc, maxime, Avant.

quo cum maxime, Ald.

sire, whether a temple dedicated thus without conditions can rightfully be removed. Its removal, if there is no religious objection, is on other grounds the most convenient course.

aedes vetustissima Matris Magnae. The Phrygian goddess Cybele, so called from a mountain in that country, was worshipped in Phrygia and the neighbouring parts of Asia Minor from very early times. From similarity of attributes and of the attendant rites of cult, she, as the μεγάλη μήτηρ τῶν θεῶν (Diod. v. 49) was confused sometimes with the Cretan goddess Rhea or 'Peía, while again Rhea was sometimes identified with T (Aeschyl. Suppl. 901) and even with the Samothracian Demeter (Eurip. Hel. 1304). At what period her worship passed from Asia Minor to Greece is not. known, but certainly before the time of Pindar. In Phrygia its existence is attested by the coins of the Phrygian towns ; it was celebrated on Mount Ida in Mysia; there was a temple near Lampsacus, and another in Cyzicus; also at Magnesia in Lydia, and at Sardes (Herod. v 102); while one of the principal seats of the worship was Pessinus in Galatia. The ritual of her worship turned on the relations between the goddess and her priest Attis or Atys. Of this myth several versions are given; (1) by Diodorus, iii 58 and 59; (2) by Pausanias, Achaica, vii 17, 5; (3) by Ovid, Met. x 104 Fast. iv 223, etc.; (4) by Catullus, 62; (5) by Servius, ad Verg. ix 116. The worship of this Phrygian goddess was the first of the oriental cults to be introduced into Rome. During the second Punic war the Sibylline books declared (Liv. 29, 10, 3), 'quandoque hostis alienigena terrae Italiae bellum intulisset, eum pelli Italia vincique posse, si mater Idaea a Pessinunte Romam advecta foret' also Ovid, Fast. iv 259: Accordingly in B.C. 204 the Romans asked for and obtained from King Attalus the sacred stone at Pessinus under the symbol of which the goddess was worshipped ('silex coloris furvi atque atri, ferri qui posset hominis manu'). For the reception of the goddess in the aedes Victoriae in Palatio, see Livy, 29, 14, 13, and Juv. iii 138, 'hospes numinis Idaei.' The Megalesia were founded in

her honour and lasted April 4-10. Thirteen years later a temple was dedicated to the goddess on the Palatine, Livy, 36, 36; inside the pomerium, because the foreign goddess was identified with the magna mater of the old Roman religion and with Maia or Ops. The cult was put under the charge of a Phrygian priest and priestess and a number of Galli (cf. Juv. ii 110, seqq.; viii 176), who performed the ritual after their national customs, but Roman citizens were forbidden to take part in it. Under the empire, however, the oriental rites in connection with Cybele and Attis were sanctioned, a new festival was instituted in March, and the goddess was regarded as the fertiliser and protectress of the fruits of the earth; cf. Plin. h. n. 18, 16, 'verum quo anno mater deum advecta Romam est, maiorem ea aestate messem quam antecedentibus annis decem factam esse tradunt.' On the 15th March, called in the Calendar 'canna intrat,' the 'collegium cannophororum,' many inscriptions concerning which have been found near the Metroon in Ostia, celebrated their feast in memory of the reeds under which Attis concealed himself, C. I. L. i p. 388. On March 23-arbor intrat-the sacred fig-tree was carried into the Palatine temple by the collegium dendrophororum, C. I. L. vi 641, v 81; Arnob. 5, 16. On March 23 was the tubilustrium, in which Attis was searched for amid the blowing of horns and the clang of musical instruments. Next day was the 'dies sanguinis,' in which the archigallus wounded his arm in symbol of the self-inflicted wound of the mad Attis; Mart. ii 84, 3, 'Alba minus saevis lacerantur brachia cultris, Quem furit ad Phrygios enthea turba modos.' Theb. x 170, 'Sic Phryga terrificis genitrix Idaea cruentum Elicit ex adytis.' Hist. Aug. Vit. Claud. 4, 'cum nuntiatum esset viiii Kal. Apr. ipso in sacrario matris sanguinis die Claudium imperatorem factum.' On the 27th was the Hilaria, and on the 28th the lavatio Deae, when the sacred stone was taken to the Almo and washed; Lucan, i 599; Mart. iii 47, 2, 'Phrygiamque Matris Almo qua lavat ferrum'; Ovid. Fast. iv 340; Ammian. 23, 3, 7; after which the oriental orgies had free play. The goddess was called

Stat.

2 surgit. Ego cum quaererem num esset aliqua lex dicta templo, cognovi alium hic alium apud nos esse morem dedicationis. Dispice ergo, domine, an putes aedem cui nulla lex dicta est salva religione posse transferri: alioqui commodissimum est, si religio non inpedit.

I dicata, Ald. ; dicta, B.

Cybele or Phrygia Mater; Verg. Aen. vii 39, 'alma parens Idaea deum' id. Aen. x 252; Mýrηp Advμývn, Herod. i 80, and 'Berecynthia mater' Verg. Aen. vii 784; ix 82. Her priests were Galli, or Corybantes, or Curetes; see Pauly, Real Encyclop. s. v. 'Rea.'; Marqdt. Staatsverw. iii, p. 367 seqq. In later times the taurobolium or criobolium, which with;its atonement by blood has exercised so curious an influence on Christian theology, was engrafted upon the worship of the Magna Mater as well as upon that of Mithras.

cum maxime, at the present time. Cf. supra, Ep. 17 B.

§ 2. aliqua lex dicta templo. The pontifices on consecrating a temple drew up a 'lex dedicationis' or 'lex templi,' in which the extent of the sacred enclosure, the rights of the temple, the administration of its revenues, and the ceremonies of the sacrifices were defined. Cf. Serv. ad Verg. Aen. ii 761,Asylum non est in omnibus templis nisi quibus consecrationis lege

concessum est.' The 'lex arae Narbonensis' is extant, Wilm. 104, dating from II A.D. One of its clauses is 'si quis tergere, ornare, reficere volet, quod beneficii causa fiat, ius fasque esto,' and ( ceterae leges huic arae titulisque eaedem sunto quae sunt arae Dianae in Aventino';

also C. I. L. iii, the lex of a temple at Salonae; and C. I. L. ix 3513, 'lex dedicationis aedis Iovis Liberi' at Furfo. Bruns. Fontes lur. Rom. p. 88, 'Lapide facta hoiusque aedis ergo, uteique ad eam aedem scalasque, lapide structa, endo columnae stant citra scalas ad aedem versus, stipitesque aedis huius tabulamentaque, utei tangere sarcire tegere devehere, defigere mandare ferro oeti promovere referre ius fasque esto.'

dispice ergo. Cf. Ep. 17 B, 33, 3. salva religione. Cf. Ep. 48, 'salvis quae habent privilegiis. Ep. 31, 'salva magnitudina tua.'

si religio non inpedit. According to the Roman dedication a temple or piece of ground once consecrated could only be used for other purposes by exauguratio or evocatio deorum; cf. Livy i 55, et ut libera a ceteris religionibus area esset tota Iovis templique eius, quod inaedificaretur, exaugurare fana sacellaque statuit nam quum omnium sacellorum exaugurationes admitterent aves in Termini fano non addixere'; and v 54, 'hic quum augurato liberaretur Capitolium Iuventus Terminusque maximo gaudio patrum vestrorum moveri non passi.'

se

L [LVIIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Potes, mi Secunde carissime, sine sollicitudine religionis, si loci positio videtur hoc desiderare, aedem Matris deum

If the question of site requires it, you may without any religious scruple transfer the temple of the Mother of the Gods to a more convenient position. The absence of a 'lex dedicationis' is of no consequence, since the soil of an alien state is not capable of dedication according to our laws.

solum peregrinae civitatis. Strictly speaking, all civitates were peregrinae except the coloniae of Roman citizens and the municipia; but practically the towns possessing the ius Latii were counted among the Roman towns, and the term peregrinae was confined to the civitates liberae, foederatae, and stipendariae.

transferre in eam quae est accommodatior; nec te moveat quod lex dedicationis nulla reperitur, cum solum peregrinae civitatis capax non sit dedicationis quae fit nostro iure.

LI [XII]
Gratias agentis

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Difficile est, domine, exprimere verbis quantam percepe- 1 rim laetitiam, quod et mihi et socrui meae praestitisti ut adfinem eius Caelium Clementem in hanc provinciam transferres. Ex illo enim mensuram beneficii tui penitus intellego, cum 2 tam plenam indulgentiam cum tota domo mea experiar, cui referre gratiam parem ne audeo quidem, quamvis maxime possim. Itaque ad vota confugio deosque precor ut iis quae in me adsidue confers non indignus existimer.

2 adfinem eius, Beroaldus.

ad finem eius, Avant. and Ald. ad finem consulatus, Cat.

§ 1. I cannot adequately, sire, express my joy that out of regard to my motherin-law and myself you have transferred Caelius Clemens, her relation, to this province. § 2. Your kindness is a proof that you extend your indulgence to my whole family. I dare not even attempt to repay it, whatever my ability might be. I therefore have recourse to the gods, of whom I pray that I may not be unworthy of your constant benefits.

§ 1. difficile est exprimere, etc. Cf. Ep. 2 and 10.

socrui meae. This was Pompeia Celerina, the mother of his second wife, who died in 97 A.D., Ep. ix 13, 4, 'quamquam tum maxime tristis amissa nuper uxore.' Pliny's wife was Pompeia's daughter by her first marriage'; she afterwards married Vettius Proculus, Ep. ix 13, 13, uxoris meae quam amiseram vitricus.' Pliny writes to her, Ep. i 4, whence it appears that she had estates at Ocriculum, Narnia, Carsulae, and Perusia. In Ep. iii 19, Pliny borrows money from her to buy a neighbouring estate, accipiam a socru cuius arca non secus ac mea utor.' After the death of Verginius Rufus, she seems to have bought his villa at Alsium, Ep. 16 10, venissem in socrus meae villam Alsiensem, quae aliquando Rufi Verginii fuit.'

cum

6 nec, Avant and Ald.

quamvis maxime possim, Avant.
quamvis Maximo possim, Ald.
quamvis maxime debeam, Cat.

adfinem eius. That this was the correct reading was first seen by Beroaldus. The reading of Avantius was ad finem eius, which Catanaeus emended into ad finem consulatus. This, however, is impossible: (1) it would leave unexplained the favour to Pompeia and Pliny; (2) a provincial governorship was never given immediately after the consulship; (3) if he was to be proconsul of Bithynia, the senate and not Trajan would appoint him; (4) transferres' implies change from one province to another. Clemens was probably either a procurator or the praefect of some auxiliary cohort.

§ 2. mensuram beneficii tui. Cf. 'mensura nostri orbis.' Tac. Agric. 12, and Juv. iv 72, 'sed deerat pisci patinae mensura.

cui referre gratiam parem. Cf. Ep. 5.

quamvis maxime possim, however great my power may be. The reading is probably incorrect. The Aldine edition had 'quamvis Maximo possim.' Catanaeus emended to 'quamvis maxime debeam,' which has usually been followed. 'Immense as my indebtedness is,' however, is not what is required, for it was the greatness of the debt which made Pliny shrink from an attempt to express his thanks for it.

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