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vacare contractis omnibus personis ad idem negotium pertinentibus, adhibitis Virdio Gemellino et Epimacho, liberto meo, procuratoribus, ut aestimatis etiam iis quae contra dicuntur quod optimum credideritis statuatis.

Nicaea who die intestate. You must summon all persons who are concerned in this matter, and take counsel with Gemellinus and Epimachus, my procurators, in order that, after carefully weighing the statements on the other side, you may come to a fair decision.

The

intestatorum civium suorum, etc. By the rules of intestate succession, the bonorum possessio went (1) to the 'sui heredes,' (2) failing these, to the agnati, or (3) to the gentiles. If all these failed the property became 'bona vacantia' and by the Lex Iulia et Papia Poppaea, it passed to the fiscus; Gaius, iii 1-10, and Ulp. Frag. 28, 7. There were, however, some special exceptions to this. property of a soldier dying intestate passed to the legion; Dig. 28, 3, 6, 7, ‘si intestato decessit, cognatis aut si non sint, legioni ista sint vindicanda,' and Cod. Iustin. 6, 62, 2. The property of curiales or decuriones in like manner passed to the curia or ordo; Cod. Iustin. 6, 62, 4, 'Intestatorum curialium bona, si sine herede moriantur, ordinibus patriae eorum adipisci praecipimus.' Also some corporations such as the navicularii succeeded to the property of

their intestate members. A similar privilege Augustus had apparently granted to Nicaea.

vindicationem. 'This was the usual real action by which a title to any property could be made out.'-Hunter, Rom. Law, P. 76.

a divo Augusto. See on Ep. 79, 2.

vacare. Cf. Plin. Ep. iii 5, 15, 'huic uni curae vacare'; Vell. Paterc. ii 114, 1, 'huic uni negotio vacare'; Tac. Ann. xvi 22, 'clientium negotiis vacare'; Suet. Aug. 25, libellis legendis et rescribendis

vacare.

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adhibitis... procuratoribus. On the procurators in senatorial provinces see on Ep. 27. Here the procurators would be sent for in the interests of the fiscus, to which the property in question would under ordinary circumstances come rather than to the civitas.

Virdio Gemellino. See on Ep. 27. Epimacho, probably, like Maximus, an assistant of Gemellinus. The next letter seems to imply that Maximus was leaving Bithynia.

quae contra dicuntur, ie. in the interests of the fiscus.

LXXXV [XVII]

Commendat quos expertus est

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Maximum, libertum et procuratorem tuum, domine, per omne tempus quo fuimus una probum et industrium et diligentem ac sicut rei tuae amantissimum ita disciplinae tenacissimum expertus, libenter apud te testimonio prosequor ea fide quam tibi debeo.

I meum, Avant.

Maximus, your freedman and procurator, has been, during the whole time of our connection with one another, honest, energetic, and industrious; he has been most zealous in your interests, and a firm maintainer of discipline. I can conscientiously testify to his merits.

Maximum. See on Ep. 27.

per omne tempus quo fuimus Pliny had hardly been a year in

una.

the province up to this time. Cf. Ep. 17 with Ep. 88, both referring to Trajan's birthday.

disciplinae tenacissimum. That Maximus, at any rate temporarily, had soldiers under him we know from Ep. 28,

'Maximum recte militibus instruxisti.'

testimonio prosequor. Cf. Ep. 86, 'voto et suffragio prosequor.'

ea fide quam tibi debeo. Cf. Ep. 86

LXXXVI A [XVIII]

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Gabium Bassum, domine, praefectum orae Ponticae, integrum, probum, industrium, atque inter ista reverentissimum mei expertus, voto pariter et suffragio prosequor ea fide quam tibi debeo.

I orae Ponti, Avant. and Ald.

Gabius Bassus, the praefect of the Pontic coast, has been honourable, honest, and energetic, and also respectful in his relations to myself. I can conscientiously assist him with my good wishes and recommendation.

Gabium Bassum. See on Ep. 21. inter ista, amid his duties to you: with reference to integrum, probum, industrium, and in opposition to mei.

reverentissimum. Cf. Ep. 21, 'reverentissime et officiosissime venit ad me.'

voto et suffragio prosequor. Cf. Cic. Tusc. Disp. ii 25, 61, 'quem ut honorificis verbis prosecutus esset;' Plin. Ep. viii 6, 5, 'Senatus gratias egit Caesari, quod et ipse cum summo honore mentionem eius prosecutus esset.' On votum cf. Plin. Ep. v 8, 3, 'id enim voto meo sufficit; illud supra votum.' Suet. Aug. 51, neque votum sibi neque animum deesse confodiendi eum'; On suffragium cf. Cic. Phil. ii 17, 42, 'rhetor suffragio tuo et compotorum tuorum'; Hor. Epist. i 19, 37, Non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor.' We may infer

from this and the preceding letter that the system of testimonials was regularly in vogue under the empire. While the subordinate officials received testimonials from the governors of the province, the governors themselves received similar testimonials from the provincial concilia, which might also lay complaints before the senate or emperor and accuse them of ' repetundae.' See Dio Cass. 56, 25, · ὅτι τινὲς μαρτυρίας παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπαίνους προσπαρασκευαζόμενοι, πολλὰ διὰ τούτου Eκαкоúруоν'; Tac. Ann. xv 20, 'Claudius Timarchus Cretensis reus agitur. . . quod dictitasset in sua potestate situm an proveconsulibus, qui Cretam obtinuissent, grates agerentur '; and although a decree was carried' auctore principe (Nero) ne quis ad concilium sociorum referret agendas apud senatum propraetoribus proveconsulibus grates,' the practice was continued much later. Lamprid. Alex. Sev. 22, 'praesides provinciarum quos vere non factionibus laudari comperit.. muneribus adiuvit.' Ammian. Marcell. 30, 5, 8.

LXXXVI B

Fabium Valentem instructum commilitio tuo valde probo, cuius disciplinae debet quod indulgentia tua dignus est.

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Apud me et milites et pagani, a quibus iustitia eius et humanitas 2 penitus inspecta est, certatim ei qua privatim qua publice testimonia perhibuerunt. Quod in notitiam tuam perfero ea fide

quam tibi debeo.

2 testimonio, Avant. 3 pertribuerunt, Avant. and Ald.

'abunde' depends on a misreading of the Codex, since it occurs in the margin of the Bodleian copy, though deleted. If we had no other authority it would probably be best to adopt Orelli's conjecture, tanquam abunde ad ea quae speret instructum,' either as a continuation of the previous clause, or, as Keil supposes, as the incomplete beginning of another letter. Catanaeus, however, in his first edition, discarding the words 'quam .. quae speret,' began a fresh letter with the words Fabium Valentem... valde probo.' As long as this stood alone on the mere authority of Catanaeus it was impossible to accept it; but singularly enough the same reading is found in the margin of the Bodleian copy, which in other cases seems to go back directly to the Codex, and though I am unable to explain clearly this agreement between Catanaeus and the margin of B., an agreement which recurs in two or three cases in the earlier Books, it seems to me at any rate that their joint authority is greater than that of Avantius and Aldus. It is possible that Catanaeus may have had before him the copy of the MS. which Avantius used, and may have deciphered it better, and that Iucundus derived the same reading direct from the Codex. It does seem quite possible that Valentem may underlie 'abunde.' I am unable, however, to explain the divergency between 'quae speret' and 'valde probo' except by supposing that Leander or Avantius, not being able to make out the original, made a mere guess.

In any

retribuerunt, Cat.

case the repetition of 'ea fide quam tibi debeo' is almost conclusive against making it all one letter.

commilitio tuo. He had probably served under Trajan in the Dacian wars. Cf. Ep. 26, 'parciorem me in laudando facit quod spero. . . integritatem eius. . . ex commilitio esse notissimam.'

milites et pagani. Cf. Ep. vii 25, 6, 'sunt enim ut in castris, sic etiam in literis nostris, plures cultu pagano'; Suet. Aug. 27, 'admissa turba paganorum apud milites'; id. Galb. 19, per publicum dimota paganorum turba '; Juv. xvi 33, 'citius falsum producere testem Contra paganum possis, quam vera loquentem Contra fortunam armati contraque pudorem'; Tac. Hist. i 53, inter paganos corruptior miles'; ii 14, iii 24, iv 20.

perhibuerunt. There seems to be hardly any doubt that perhibuerunt is the correct reading here, as in Panegyr. 95 we should read antiquissimum testimonium perhibuistis.' Cf. also Varro, Re Rust. ii 5, 1; Plin. h. n. vii 30, 31, § 112; vii 38, 39, 127. The reading of Avantius is pertribuerunt, which, if correct, would be an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον ; while the emendation of Catanaeus (retribuerunt), generally adopted by later editors, is nowhere used in the simple sense of tribuo or attribuo. The passage in Cic. pro Rosc. Com. 15, 44, cited by Ernesti, is not a case in point: 'fructum quem meruerunt retribuam'; where retribuam reddam = 'pay back what is due.'

LXXXVII [XVIIII]

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Nymphidium Lupum, domine, primipilarem, commilitonem habui, cum ipse tribunus essem, ille praefectus: inde familiariter

§1. Nymphidius Lupus, sire, formerly a chief centurion, is an old comrade of mine. When I was military tribune, he commanded a cohort. § 2. Our friendship begun then has been strengthened since.

I therefore insisted on his accompanying me to Bithynia as one of my advisers; and he in spite of his age and desire for rest consented. § 3. Accordingly I consider his relations to be also mine, and especially

I

2 diligere coepi. Crevit postea caritas ipsa mutuae vetustate amicitiae. Itaque et quieti eius inieci manum et exegi ut me in Bithynia consilio instrueret. Quod ille amicissime et otii et senectutis ratione postposita et iam fecit et facturus est. 2 exuit me, Avant.

exegi ut me, B. and Ald.

his son, a young man of upright character and energy, who is worthy of his father's example, and will show himself capable of discharging any office you may confer on him. His behaviour in his first responsible post is a proof of this, since as praefect of an auxiliary cohort he received most excellent testimonials both from Iulius Ferox and Fuscus Salinator. The promotion of my friend's son will be a personal pleasure and a joy to me.

primipilarem. The primus pilus (C. I. L. v 4373), or primipilus (Orell. 799 and 3444; Caes. B. G. ii 25), or primi pili centurio (Tac. Hist. iii 22) or primi ordinis centurio (Tac. Ann. i 29), or qui primum pilum ducit (Caes. B. G. v 35), was the first centurion and best soldier in the legion. The name was derived from the old division of the legion into hastati, principes, and triarii, the latter of whom were also called pilani, and each division of them a pilus. The lowest centurion was 'decimus hastatus posterior,' and the highest was 'primus pilus prior,' who had charge of the aquila. When the legion was divided into ten cohorts, the division into hastati, principes, and triarii was given up, but the names were retained for marking the rank of the centurions.

Thus the six centurions of the first cohort

would be primus pilus prior, primus hastatus prior, primus princeps prior, primus pilus posterior, and so on. As a rule, centurions, when they had attained the rank of primipilus, retired from the service under the title of primipilares, receiving rich rewards. Cf. Mart. i 31, 3, meriti praemia pili'; Dig. 54, 4, 23, 'ex ratione primipili commodorum'; Plin. h. n. xiv 19; Suet. Calig. 24; Juv. xiv 197, Ut locupletem aquilam tibi sexagesimus annus Adferat." It also made possible admission to the equestrian order: Mart. vi 58, 20, Et referes pili praemia clarus eques'; Orell. 3049, 'ex militia in equestrem dignitatem translato'; C. I. L. viii 9290, M. Cocceio Romano eq. R. p(rimi) p(ilari).' After becoming primipilares, however, they were often employed on special services: Tac. Ann. ii 11, iv 72, 'donec Olennius e primipilari

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3 extrueret, Avant.

bus regendis Frisiis impositus'; xiii 36, curam praesidiorum Paccio Orfito primi pili honore perfuncto mandat'; Hist. i 87, iv 15. Primipilares frequently as equites took a prominent position in the municipal towns: Wilman, 688, 'P. Magno Amando primipilari inter quinquennalicios adlecto,' also 692. See Marquadt, Staatsverw. ii pp. 368-377. Young

cum ipse tribunus essem. men of equestrian or senatorial rank usually as a preliminary career served as tribuni militum. Cf. Plin. Ep. vi 31, 4, 'tribuno militum honores petituro'; Dio Cass. lxvii 12, 4, veavioкOS 'IOÚλLOS Καλόναστρος κεχιλιαρχήκως ἐς Βουλείας EXπida'; Sen. Ep. v 6, 10, ‘Variana clade multos splendidissime natos senatorium per militiam auspicantes gradum fortuna depressit'; Suet. Aug. 38, liberis militiam... auspicanti

senatorum

bus non tribunatum modo legionum sed et praefecturas alarum dedit.' Thus Velleius was first tribunus militum (2, 101); then praefectus equitum (2, 104); then successively quaestor, legatus, and praetor. But in later times the tribuneship was the only military post held by those who went through the senatorial as opposed to the equestrian career. Cf. the case of Trajan P. I. Pliny (see life of Pliny, p. 19) was tribune of the III Gallica stationed in Syria. See Pliny's inscrip. p. 16, and Orell. 1172, and cf. Ep. i 10, 3, 'in Syria cum adolescentulus militarem'; iii 11, 5, 'cum in Syria tribunus militarem'; viii 14, 7, etc.

praefectus, i.e. not praefectus cohortis as § 3, but more probably praefectus castrorum. Since the time of Domitian each legion had a separate camp, and accordingly a separate 'praefectus castrorum': Suet. Dom. 7, 'geminari legionum castra prohibuit,' etc. They were usually appointed from the primipilares: Tac. Ann. i 20, 'Rufus diu manipularis, dein centurio, mox castris praefectus'; Wilman, 895, 'C. Norbanus Quadratus prim. pil. trib. milit. praef. castr.' On the duties of the praef. castr. see Tac. Ann. i 32; xii 38; Hist. ii 2, 26; ii 29; iii 7. It seems probable that the elder

Quibus ex causis necessitudines eius inter meas numero, filium 3 in primis, Nymphidium Lupum, iuvenem probum, industrium et egregio patre dignissimum, suffecturum indulgentiae tuae; sicut primis eius experimentis cognoscere potes, cum praefectus 4 primus, Avant.

Nymphidius Lupus was praefectus castrorum (1) because Pliny would almost certainly have added the word 'cohortis' as below; (2) as tribunus militum he would probably be brought into closer connection with the praef. castr. than with the praefect of a cohort, though Pliny particularly mentions his friendship with Claudius Pollio, praefectus of an ala: Ep. vii 31, 2, Hunc cum simul militaremus non solum ut commilito inspexi praeerat alae miliariae; ego iussus a legato consulari rationes alarum et cohortium excutere huius sollicitam diligentiam inveni.'

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inicere is a legal term in the sense of to take hold of one's property, especially a runaway slave, without legal decision.' Cf. Livy, iii 44, 'virgini venienti in forum minister decemviri manum iniecit'; so too of summoning a person before a judge: Plaut. Pers. i 2, 18, ' ubi quadruplator quempiam iniexit manum. Cf. Verg. Aen. x 419, 'iniecere manum Parcae.'

ut me consilio instrueret, i.e. to be an assessor. The comites or assessors of provincial governors who formed the cohors amicorum (Suet. Calig. 19) or cohors praetoria (Cic. in Verr. i 14, 36) were usually young men preparing for public life (cf. Cic. ad Att. v 9, 3, and v 17, 3); but the governors had free choice and might prefer a man of experience like Nymphidius.

senectutis. As Nymphidius must have worked his way up to the rank of primipilus before he was made praefectus, he must have been considerably older than Pliny.

necessitudines, friends. Cf. Suet. Tib. II, 'petiit ut sibi permitteretur revisere necessitudines'; Aug. 17, 'necessitudines amicosque omnes'; Tac. Hist. iii 59, atque ipse Vitellius respectu suarum necessitudinum nihil in Domitianum atrox parabat.'

suffecturum indulgentiae tuae. Cf. Ep. vi 23, 4, 'Spondeo sollicitudini tuae, spei meae, magnitudini causae suffecturum.' Cf. Statius, Silv. v 2, 175, 'Vade, puer, tantisque enixus suffice donis."

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praefectus cohortis. As the son of a primipilaris and therefore belonging to the equestrian order, the younger Nymphidius would, without passing through the rank of a centurion, at once enter upon what was called the splendidae militiae stipendia (Valer. Max. iv 7, 5) or the equestres militiae, the usual order of which was (1) praefectura cohortis (2) praefectura alae (3) tribunatus legionis. Suet. Claud. 25, Equestres militias ita ordinavit ut post cohortem alam, post alam tribunatum legionis daret.' Plin. Ep. vii 25, 2, Terentius Iunior equestribus militiis functus'; Suet. vit. Plin., equestribus militiis industrie functus'; C. I. L. iii 1198, etc. Those who had thus passed through these posts were called in inscrr. 'militiis equestribus exornati' (C. I. L. viii 9760); άπд σтατειῶν ἱππικῶν, οἱ ἀπὸ τριῶν χιλιαρχῶν (C. I. Gr. 3484 a), or simply 'a militiis,' Henz. 6816, etc. The post therefore which Pliny is now seeking for Nymphidius is that of 'praefectus alae.' When he reached the rank of tribunus militum, he would be distinguished from the senatorial holders of the same post by the title 'tribunus legionis angusticlavius,' Suet. Oth. 10. After passing through the equestres militiae,' he would be qualified for the various procuratorial appointments: Wilman, 1627; Orell. 3444; Suet. vit. Plin., 'equestribus militiis functus procurationes quoque splendidissimas et continuas summa integritate adminstravit'; Tac. Agric. 4, ' utrumque avum procuratorem Caesarum habuit, quae equestris nobilitas est.' These successive posts were granted by favour and influence. Cf. Juv. i 58, 'Cum fas esse putet curam spectare cohortis, etc.'; x 94, 'vis certe pila, cohortes, Egregios equites et castra domestica'; vii 92, Praefectos Pelopea facit, Philomela tribunos.'

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