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florentem et incolumem ea benignitate servarent quam super magnas plurimasque virtutes praecipua sanctitate, obsequio, deorum honore meruisti.

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Solvisse vota diis inmortalibus te praeeunte pro mea incolumitate commilitones cum provincialibus laetissimo consensu et in futurum noncupasse libenter, mi Secunde carissime, cognovi litteris tuis.

I learn with pleasure, my dear Pliny, that the soldiers and provincials have

paid their vows for my safety and renewed them for the coming year.

CII [CIII]

Ob diem imperii

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Diem quo in te tutela generis humani felicissima successione translata est debita religione celebravimus, commendantes diis imperii tui auctoribus et vota publica et gaudia.

I quo in te, B. quae in, Avant. in quem, Ald.

We have celebrated, sire, with the usual observances the day on which the guardianship of the human race was auspiciously transferred to you, offering public vows and public thanksgivings to the gods who are the authors of your empire.

Diem quo, etc.: 27th January. See on Ep. 52, 'diem quo servasti imperium dum suscipis.' 'Diem quo in te tutela,' first conjectured by Gronovius, is now confirmed by the Bodleian copy. Debita religione. reris laetitia,' Ep. 52.

CIII [CIIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Cf. 'quanta me

Diem imperii mei debita laetitia et religione commilitonibus et provincialibus praeeunte te celebratum libenter cognovi litteris tuis.

I gladly learn that the anniversary of my succession has been duly celebrated by soldiers and provincials under your direction.

53.

Diem imperii. See on Ep. 52 and

CIIII [CV]

Ius Quiritium Latinis suis petit

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Valerius, domine, Paulinus excepto Paulino ius Latinorum suorum mihi reliquit; ex quibus rogo tribus interim ius Quiritium des. Vereor enim ne sit inmodicum pro omnibus pariter invocare indulgentiam tuam, qua debeo tanto modestius uti quanto pleniorem experior. Sunt autem pro quibus peto C. Valerius Astraeus, C. Valerius Dionysius, C. Valerius Aper. I excepto Paulino, Avant. and B. excepto uno, Ald.

Valerius Paulinus, sire, to the exclusion of his son Paulinus, has made me by his will patron of his Latin freedmen. To three of these I beg you to grant the ius Quiritium. I would ask it for all, but I fear to abuse your indulgence, and the more so, as it is more freely bestowed on me. I add the names of the three for whom I make this request.

Valerius Paulinus. Pliny writes to him, Ep. ii 2; iv 16; v 19; ix 3, and 37. His father had been at one time in 69 A.D. procurator of Gallia Narbonensis; Tac. Hist. iii 43, 'procurator Valerius Paulinus, strenuus militiae et Vespasiano ante fortunam amicus.' Pliny's friend has estates near Forum Iulii in the same province; Ep. v 19, 7, 'in praedia tua quae Foro Iuli possides.' He gives his opinion in the senate among the consulars, Ep. iv 9, 20, and was apparently consul again in 108 or 109 A.D.; ix 37, I, 'et ego te constantius amo quam ut verear ut aliter ac velim accipias, nisi te Kalendis statim consulem videro.' In v 19, Pliny alludes to the kindness of Valerius towards his freedmen and slaves: 'video quam molliter tuos habeas.'

excepto Paulino. This is the reading of Avantius. It presents several difficulties excepto is used in an unusual sense, and must mean 'excluded from the will'; and Paulino without the addition of 'filio' or 'propinquo eius,' is too vague. The Ald. ed. reads excepto [Paulino] uno,' which is not any easier, as Paulinus cannot possibly be one of the freedmen. Later editions have got rid

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of the Paulino altogether, and read 'excepto uno.'

ius Latinorum suorum, the 'ius patronatus' over his Latini. See Gaius, iii 42, Postea lege Papia aucta sunt iura patronorum quod ad locupletiores libertos pertinet. Cautum est enim ea lege, ut ex bonis eius qui sestertiorum centum milium plurisve patrimonium reliquerit, et pauciores quam tres liberos habebit, sive is testamento facto sive intestato mortuus erit, virilis pars patrono debeatur. Itaque cum unum filium unam ve filiam heredes reliquerit libertus ; perinde pars dimidia patrono debetur, ac si sine ullo filio filia ve moreretur: cum vero duos duas ve heredes reliquerit, tertia pars debetur; si tres relinquat, repellitur patronus.'

The Latini Iuniani are here alluded to, a special class of men created by the lex Iunia Norbana of 19 A.D. Those freedmen belonged to this class who were (1) not manumitted with the full formalities, or (2) who were not held ex iure Quiritium, or (3) who were less than thirty years old; Gaius, i 17, 'Nam in cuius persona tria haec concurrunt, ut maior sit annorum triginta, ut ex iure Quiritium domini, et iusta ac legitima manumissione liberetur, id est vindicta aut censu aut testamento, is civis Romanus sit; sin vero aliquid eorum deerit, Latinus erit.'

ius Quiritium. See note on Ep. 5. quanto pleniorem experior. Cf. Ep. 94, cuius in omnibus desideriis meis indulgentiam experior.'

CV [CVI]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Cum honestissime iis qui apud fidem tuam a Valerio Paulino depositi sunt consultum velis mature per me, iis interim quibus nunc petisti dedisse me ius Quiritium referri in commentarios meos iussi, idem facturus in ceteris pro quibus petieris.

2 matura, Avant.

Since you so honourably wish to further the interests of those whom Valerius Paulinus entrusted to your care, I have at once ordered an entry to be made in my archives that I have conferred the ius Quiritium on the three persons you name. I will do the same for any others on whose behalf you may make the request. qui apud fidem tuam depositi The 'ius patronatus' was evi

sunt.

dently made over to Pliny, for the express purpose that he should procure the 'ius Quiritium' for these freedmen. The consent of the patronus was always necessary. Cf. 'petente patrona,' Ep. 5.

mature. This is the reading of Beroaldus for 'matura per me' of Avantius. referri in commentarios meos. Cf. Ep. 95.

CVI [CVII]

Civitatem Romanam petit filiae centurionis

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Rogatus, domine, a P. Accio Aquila, centurione cohortis sextae equestris, ut mitterem tibi libellum per quem indulgentiam pro statu filiae suae inplorat, durum putavi negare, cum

Being asked by P. Accius Aquila, centurion of the VIth cohort to send you a petition touching the status of his daughter, I have complied with his request, knowing how ready an ear you turn to the requests of your soldiers.

P. Accio Aquila. None but peregrini could be enlisted in the auxiliary troops, but it was usual after twenty-five years' service to grant the civitas, sometimes together with 'honesta missio' by means of a military diploma; see C. I. L. iii, pp. 844-901. Cf. the phrases which recur in these diplomata: 'equitibus et peditibus qui militant in alis . . . et cohortibus'; qui quina et vicena plurave stipendia meruerunt'; 'quorum nomina subscripta sunt ipsis liberis posterisque eorum civitatem dedit.' The civitas was, however, sometimes given as a special reward before the missio,' and occasionally to a whole cohort. Cf. Wilm. 2867, 'cohors III. Thracum civium Romanorum. That Accius had received the 'civitas' is

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shown by his name, as perigrini had always one name only, as Ambirenus Iuvenci filius (Henz. 5857); Nertomarus Irducissae filius (6587 a); Plator Veneti fidius (Bruns. p. 196).

cohortis sextae equestris. The auxiliary cohorts were either equitatae or peditatae. The former if milariae contained 240 cavalry and 760 infantry; if quingenariae, 120 cavalry and 280 infantry. These equites cohortales C. I. L. (viii 2532 a) are distinguished from the alares (Tac. Ann. xv 10) or equites alarii, Tac. Ann. iii 39, iv 73, etc. See Marquadt, Staatsverw. ii p. 470. On the troops under Pliny's command, see Ep. 21.

pro statu filiae suae. The formula of the military diplomata runs, 'ipsis liberis posterisque eorum civitatem dedit et conubium cum uxoribus quas tunc habuissent cum est civitas eis data aut siqui caelibes essent, cum iis quas postea duxissent.' This seems to imply that the civitas

I

scirem quantam soleres militum precibus patientiam humanita

temque praestare.

was only given to the children of the wife with whom conubium was granted; those of former wives, therefore, would be excluded. Accius is petitioning for the

daughter of a former marriage, who is still a peregrina.

quantam soleres militum precibus, etc. Cf. Panegyr. 13-14.

CVII [CVIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Libellum P. Accii Aquilae, centurionis cohortis sextae equestris, quem mihi misisti, legi: cuius precibus motus dedi filiae eius civitatem Romanam. Libellum rescripti quem illi redderes misi tibi.

I cohortis, om. Avant. and B., add. Ald.

I have read the petition of Accius Aquila; and moved by his prayers I have granted the citizenship to his daughter. The diploma containing my rescript I send you to deliver to him.

Libellum. Cf. Juv. xiv 193, 'aut vitem poscet libello.

civitatem Romanam. On the civitas granted to a peregrinus, as distinct from the 'ius Quiritium' granted to a Latinus, see on Ep. 5.

Libellum rescripti. The form of the military diploma was that of a doublefolded tablet or libellus, composed of two square plates of brass joined together at one extremity by three brass wires inserted through holes, and at the other by one, thus forming a little book. On one of the outside leaves were the names and seals of seven witnesses; on the other a copy of that part of the 'lex data' which concerned the individual in question; a second copy of this was also engraved on the two interior pages. Similar libelli were used for

wills or contracts, but usually made of
wood or wax. Cf. Suet. Ner. 17, 'ad-
versus falsarios tunc primum repertum ne
tabulae, nisi pertusae, ac ter lino per
foramina traiecto, obsignarentur.' A
similar libellus would be used for non-
military grants of the 'civitas.'
original lex was deposited in the Capitol.
Cf. the formula of the diplomata, 'des-
criptum et recognitum ex tabula aenea
quae fixa est Romae in Capitolio ad aram
gentis Iuliae.'

The

That all such privileges as the conferment of the civitas were granted by the emperor under the form of a 'lex data,' i.e. a personal constitution passed by the emperor in the name of the people, is shown by Mommsen, Staatsrecht, ii, p. 852, and C. I. L. iii, p. 904. As such

it would come under the general description of a 'rescriptum.' For the arrangement of the diptycha, or libelli, or tabulae. See Wilman. ii, p. 272, and Bruns. p. 196.

CVIII [CVIIII]

De exactione pecuniarum

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Quid habere iuris velis et Bithynas et Ponticas civitates in exigendis pecuniis quae illis vel ex locationibus vel ex ven

I should be glad if you would inform me, sire, what rights should belong to

the cities of Bithynia and Pontus in exacting the payment of money due to them

ditionibus aliisve causis debeantur rogo, domine, rescribas. Ego inveni a plerisque proconsulibus concessam iis protopraxian eamque pro lege valuisse. Existimo tamen tua providentia 2 constituendum aliquid et sanciendum, per quod utilitatibus eorum in perpetuum consulatur. Nam quae sunt ab illis instituta, sint licet sapienter indulta, brevia tamen et infirma sunt, nisi illis tua contingit auctoritas.

from contracts or sales. I find that some proconsuls have given priority to state claims, and that this has grown to be considered the law. I think, however, that some permanent regulation should be made, for the edicts of others, however judicious, are temporary only, and invalid unless confirmed by you.

§ I. in exigendis pecuniis. Cf. Ep. 23, 'erit enim pecunia. . . primum ea quam revocare a privatis et exigere iam coepi.'

ex locationibus. For locatio-conductio see Gaius, iii 142-147; Hunter, Roman Law, p. 338 seq. All public locationes were managed by the duumviri, who had to enter them in the public accounts. Lex. Mun. Malacit. 63, 'quasque locationes fecerit, quasque leges

dixerit quanti quid locatum sit et (qui)
praedes accepti sint,
in tabulas
communes municipum eius municipi
referantur.'

protopraxian. The word is found in an inscription (C. I. Gr. 4957)=ius primae exactionis-the right that statedebts should take the precedence of all others, a precedence or priority which was in certain cases the privilege of the fiscus, Cod. iv. 57, 1. See Hunter, Roman Law, p. 270. Cf. Paulus in Digest, 'respublica creditrix omnibus chirographariis creditoribus praefertur'; but Marcianus says on the other hand, simile privilegium fisco nulla civitas habet in bonis debitoris nisi nominatim id a principe datum sit.'

ab illis. i.e. the proconsuls.

CVIIII [CX]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Quo iure uti debeant Bithyniae vel Ponticae civitates in iis pecuniis quae ex quaque causa rei publicae debebuntur ex lege cuiusque animadvertendum est. Nam sive habent privilegium quo ceteris creditoribus anteponantur, custodiendum est, sive non habent, in iniuriam privatorum id dari a me non oportebit.

5 in, om. Avant., add. Ald.

You must decide according to the particular law of each state, which right the cities of Bithynia are entitled to in respect of money owed to them. If they have the privilege of priority over other creditors, it must be preserved intact; if not, such a right must not be granted to the detriment of individuals.

ex lege cuiusque. See on Ep. 92. As usual Trajan refuses to make any general rule, and refers Pliny to local usage and right. Cf. Ep. 20.

privilegium. custodiendum est. Cf. Ep. 48, 'salvis quae habent privilegiis.'

in iniuriam privatorum id dari non oportebit. Cf. Ep. 55, 'invitos ad accipiendum conpellere quod fortassis ipsis otiosum futurum sit non est ex iustitia nostrorum temporum'; also Ep. III, 'non minus enim hominibus cuiusque tum volo.

loci quam pecuniae publicae consul

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