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cohortis plenissimum testimonium meruerit Iulii Ferocis et Fusci Salinatoris, clarissimorum virorum. Meum gaudium meamque gratulationem filii honore continebis.

3 honore continebo, Keil. continebis, B. continerent, Avant. and Ald.

Iulii Ferocis. Ti. Iulius Ferox (C. I. L. i p. 187) was consul designatus in 99 A.D. (Plin. Ep. ii 11, 5, 'consul designatus Iulius Ferox, vir rectus et sanctus'), curator alvei Tiberis in 101 (see inscr. cit.), at the date of this letter is evidently 'legatus Augusti' of some military province, and in 116 A.D. was proconsul of Asia. See Mommsen's index. Pliny writes to him Ep. vii 13.

Fusci Salinatoris. His name was Pedanius Fuscus Salinator. He was proconsul of Asia between 98 and 102 (see Mommsen's index), and father of the

Fuscus Salinator mentioned in Ep. vi II, and vii 9.

filii honore continebis, a curious phrase of which I can find no other example in the active of the verb contineo, though in the passive we find such expressions as artes quae coniectura continentur,' Cic. Div. i 14, 24. Translate 'By honouring his son, you will give me also cause for joy and congratulalion,' ¿.e. 'you will comprise my joy, etc., under.' I have restored this reading from the margin of the Bodleian copy. It seems decidedly better than continebo (Keil) or continerem (Orelli).

LXXXVIII [LXXXVIIII]

Ob diem natalem

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Opto, domine, et hunc natalem et plurimos alios quam felicissimos agas aeternaque laude florentem virtutis tuae gloriam incolumis et fortis aliis super alia operibus augeas.

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Agnosco vota tua, mi Secunde carissime, quibus precaris ut plurimos et felicissimos natales florente statu rei publicae

nostrae agam.

I thank you for your good wishes, my dear Pliny, that I may spend many birth

days amid happiness to myself and prosperity to the republic.

XC [XCI]

De aqua Sinopensium perducenda

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Sinopenses, domine, aqua deficiuntur; quae videtur et I bona et copiosa ab sexto decimo miliario posse perduci. Est tamen statim ab capite paulo amplius mille passibus locus suspectus et mollis, quem ego interim explorari modico inpendio iussi, an recipere et sustinere opus possit. Pecunia curantibus 2 nobis contracta non deerit, si tu, domine, hoc genus operis et salubritati et amoenitati valde sitientis coloniae indulseris.

3 passibus, om. Avant. 4 susceptus, Avant. suspectus, B. and Ald.

The people of Sinope, sire, are in want of water, which I think could be brought in great plenty and of good quality from a place sixteen miles away. There is, however, one spot about a mile from the spring, which is soft and marshy. Of this I have ordered a survey to be made, to see whether it can bear the weight of an aqueduct. The money for the work will be forthcoming, if you will sanction an undertaking so conducive to the health and comfort of this thirsty colony.

Sinopenses. Sinope was always important on account of its splendid harbour. It was the birthplace and capital of Mithridates, king of Pontus, who did much to enlarge and beautify it. Lucullus made it a free and autonomous town (Appian, Mithr. 73), and in 48 B. C. it received colonists sent by Iulius Caesar; Strab. 12, p. 546;

Plin. h. n. vi 2, 2; Digest, 50, 16, 1 and 10, 'est in Bithynia Apamena (colonia) et in Ponto Sinopensis.' The full title was Colonia Iulia Caesarea Felix Sinope, Eckhel, ii 391, etc. In Strabo's time it was a large well-built and well-fortified town, but it gradually declined in import

ance.

§ I. aqua deficiuntur. Cf. below, 'sitientis coloniae.' A small stream ran into the harbour of Sinope, but like most of the rivers of Asia Minor, it was of little use either for navigation or water supply.

a sexto decimo miliario, probably along the road between Sinope and Pompeiopolis.

posse perduci. Cf. Ep. 37,
videtur aqua posse perduci.'
§ 2. pecunia .

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ex quo

contracta non

deerit. Cf. Ep. 23, 'erit enim pecunia ex

qua

fiat.'

XCI [XCII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Ut coepisti, Secunde carissime, explora diligenter an locus ille quem suspectum habes sustinere opus aquae ductus possit. Neque enim dubitandum puto quin aqua perducenda 2 susceptum, Avant.

Be sure to have a careful examination made, my Pliny, whether the place which you suspect can sustain the weight of an aqueduct. Water must without doubt

be brought to Sinope, provided the town can accomplish the work with its own resources. It will contribute much to the health and comfort of the place.

sit in coloniam Sinopensem, si modo et viribus suis adsequi potest, cum plurimum ea res et salubritati et voluptati eius conlatura sit.

aquae ductus. See on Ep. 37.

Cf. Ep.

quin aqua perducenda sit. 38, 'curandum est ut aqua in Nicome

densem civitatem perducatur.'

si modo et viribus suis adsequi potest. Cf. Ep. 24, 'si instructio novi balinei oneratura vires Prusensium non est.'

XCII [XCIII]

De petitione Amisenorum

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Amisenorum civitas libera et foederata beneficio indulgentiae tuae legibus suis utitur. In hac datum mihi libellum ad 2 datum mihi publice, Ald.

The free and confederate city of Amisus enjoys by your permission its own laws. I send you a memorial which I received from this place in relation to benefit-clubs. I should be glad to learn how far these should be allowed, how far prohibited.

Amisenorum civitas libera et foederata. Amisus was a flourishing town with a good harbour. It was enlarged and partly rebuilt by Mithridates, who occasionally used it for his royal residence. Cic. pro leg. Manil. 8, 'Sinopen atque Amisum quibus in oppidis erant domicilia regis omnibus rebus ornata atque referta.' It was taken by Lucullus in 71 B.C. (Appian, Mithr. 82), and in 47 B.C. by Pharnaces; Dio Cass. 42, 48, 'кαiπер ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀντισχοῦσαν. As a reward for its obstinate resistance Iulius Caesar made it a free state; Dio Cass. 42, 48, ‘τούς τε ̓Αμισηνοὺς ἐλευθερίᾳ ἠμείψατο. It was formally joined to Bithynia in 33 B.C. by Antonius, as the era of the town on its coins proves (Eckhel, ii 349). Freedom seems to have been granted to it a second time by Augustus; Strab. 12, p. 547, εἶτ ̓ ἐλευθερώθη πάλιν μετὰ τὰ ̓Ακτιακὰ ὑπὸ Καίσαρος τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ. Pliny, h. n. vi 2, speaks of it as 'liberum,' and gives its distance from Sinope as 130 miles; so also the legend ̓Αμισοῦ ἐλευθέρας on coins, Eckhel, ii 347, 348. This is the only mention of it as a 'foederata civitas,' but the words of Trajan are so clear on the point that there can be no doubt about its position. The 'civitates foederatae' were the highest class of autonomous cities, while the 'civitates liberae' might at

any time lose their freedom, as e.g. Byzantium (see note on Ep. 77); the existence of a formal foedus' obviated this risk. The terms of the foedus were different in different cases, but they always granted internal autonomy (libera et foederata), but never independent foreign policy; it was always stipulated 'ut eosdem quos populus Romanus amicos atque hostes habeant,' Livy, xxxviii 8, 10. See also the league with Astypalaea; C. I. Gr. 2485; and Hicks' Greek Hist. Inscrip. p. 348. A copy of the foedus engraved in bronze was kept in the Capitol at Rome, and also in the city concerned. Suet. Vesp. 8, 'aerearumque tabularum tria milia quae simul conflagraverunt restituenda suscepit instrumentum imperii pulcherrimum ac vetustissimum, quo continebantur senatus consulta, plebiscita de societate et foedere et privilegio cuicumque concessis.' Civitates foederatae could only lose their freedom or privileges in exceptional cases, such as war (Dio Cass. 41, 25, in the case of Massilia), or outrageous abuse of their position; Suet. Aug. 47, urbium quasdam foederatas, sed ad exitium licentia praecipites libertate privavit.' Their position was similar to that of the Italian allied towns previous to the lex Iulia of 90 B.C. As sovereign states they had the right of coinage, of admitting exiles to their citizenship (Cic. pro Balb. 12, 29; Tac. Ann. iv 43; xiii 47), while they were exempted from all interference on the part of the provincial governors; Strab. 4, p. 181, ‘καὶ τὴν αὐτονομίαν

eranos pertinentem his litteris subieci, ut tu, domine, dispiceres quid et quatenus aut permittendum aut prohibendum putares.

I heranos, Avant.

ἐφύλαξαν ἣν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶχεν ἡ πόλις ὥστε μὴ ὑπακούειν τῶν εἰς τὴν ἐπαρχίαν πεμπομένων στρατηγῶν'; Cic. in Verr. ii 66, 160, 'Tauromenitani, quorum est civitas foederata qui maxime ab iniuriis nostrorum magistratuum remoti consuerant esse praesidio foederis. Cf. also Suet Calig. 3, '(Germanicus) libera ac foederata oppida sine lictoribus adibat,' and Tac. Ann. ii 53.

beneficio indulgentiae tuae. This was true de facto; Trajan puts the case de iure, 'quibus de officio foederis utuntur.'

legibus suis utitur. Each autonomous provincial town had its own leges municipales, which were originally given to it by the commission which organised the province. Cf. Digest, 42, 5, 37, 'Antiochensium Coelae Syriae civitati, quod lege sua privilegium in bonis defuncti debitoris accepit, ius persequendi pignoris durare constitit'; Cic. in Verr. 2, 49, 120, 'legati Centuripini, Halesini, Catinenses, etc. . . . dixerunt neminem ulla in civitate senatorem factum esse gratis, neminem, ut leges eorum sunt, suffragiis.' Digest, 43, 25, 34, 'si non lex municipalis curatori reipublicae amplius concedat'; 3, 4, 6, nisi lex municipii prohibeat.'

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ad eranos pertinentem. The pavo in Greek towns were either social clubs, the chief object of which was the celebration of periodical banquets, or benefit societies for mutual help and support, 'ad sustinendum tenuiorum inopiam.' A common fund was formed by contributions ἔρανοι, εἰσφοραί) from the members (ἐρανισταί). If any member fell into distress, he received a subsidy, which, however, he was expected to refund as soon as his circumstances permitted. These clubs, like the collegia in Roman towns, had a regular organisation. They had their archieranistae and prostatae as well as treasurer, secretaries, and legal advisers. All legal cases concerning them had to be decided within a month. See Schömann, Antiq. Iur. Publ. Gr., p. 305, 4, and Antiquities of Greece, p. 362. Amisus, as a colony from Athens, may very likely, as Döring suggests, have derived this institution direct from the mother city.

XCIII [XCIIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Amisenos, quorum libellum epistulae tuae iunxeras, si legibus istorum, quibus de officio foederis utuntur, concessum est eranum habere, possumus quo minus habeant non inpedire, eo facilius, si tali conlatione non ad turbas et ad inlicitos 3 eia num, Avant. qui minus. Avant, and Ald.

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coetus sed ad sustinendam tenuiorum inopiam utuntur.

In cet

eris civitatibus, quae nostro iure obstrictae sunt, res huiusmodi prohibenda est.

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C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Suetonium Tranquillum, probissimum honestissimum eruditissimum virum, et mores eius secutus et studia iam pridem, domine, in contubernium adsumpsi tantoque magis diligere 2 coepi, quanto hunc propius inspexi. Huic ius trium liberorum necessarium faciunt duae causae : nam et iudicia amicorum

§ 1. Suetonius Tranquillus, sire, is a man of the greatest honesty, integrity, and learning, whom in consequence of his tastes and character I have long since admitted to my intimate friendship, and the more closely I have seen him, the more I have learned to love him. § 2. He desires the ius trium liberorum for two reasons, that his friends may give effect to their favourable judgment of him in their wills, and that your kindness may afford him what an unfruitful marriage has denied. § 3. I know how great a favour I am asking, but I remember your previous indulgence to my requests. I should not make the request from a distance, were I not so anxious to obtain it.

§ 1. Suetonium Tranquillum. C. Suetonius Tranquillus was of equestrian rank. His father Suetonius Lenis served on Otho's side in the war against Vitellius as 'tertiae decimae legionis tribunus angusticlavius,' Suet. Oth. Io. Suetonius

was himself born somewhat about that time, as he describes himself as an adolescens twenty years after Nero's death. Suet. Ner. 57, and also Suet. Dom. 12, 'Interfuisse me adolescentulum memini cum a procuratore frequentissimoque

consilio inspiceretur nonagenarius' senex, an circumsectus esset.' He was an intimate friend of Pliny 'contubernalis meus,' and also a man of letters,'' scholasticis porro dominis, ut hic est,' as early as 97 A.D. (Ep. i 24). Pliny writes to him, i 18, iii 8, v 10, and xi 34. In 101 A.D. Pliny obtained for him a military tribuneship under Neratius Marcellus (Ep. iii 8) which however Suetonius preferred to pass on to a relation. Under Hadrian he held the post of ab epistulis, from which however he was dismissed, Spart. Hadr. II.

in contubernium adsumpsi, admitted to my intimate friendship. Cf. Ep. i 24, 'contubernalis meus'; also i 19, municeps meus et condiscipulus et ab ineunte aetate contubernalis.'

§ 2. ius trium liberorum, see note on Ep. 2.

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