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CX [CXI]

De Iulio Pisone

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Ecdicus, domine, Amisenorum civitatis petebat apud me a Iulio Pisone denariorum circiter quadraginta milia, donata ei publice ante viginti annos bule et ecclesia consentiente, utebaturque mandatis tuis, quibus eiusmodi donationes vetantur. 2 Piso contra plurima se in rem publicam contulisse ac prope I Ecdicus, Cat.

Medicus, B. and Ald.

2 milia, add. Ald., om. Avant.

The ecdicus of the city of Amisus came to my tribunal, and sued Iulius Piso for the sum of 40,000 denarii which had been publicly granted to him twenty years ago, pleading your commands that donations of this sort should not be made. Piso, on the other hand, urged that he had contributed much to the city, and had almost exhausted his means. He also pleaded the time elapsed since the gift, and claimed that he should not be compelled to pay back a sum which would ruin him, and which had been granted in return for many public services. I have left the case undecided for your consideration.

§ 1. Ecdicus Amisenorum civ. The ecdicus was a public prosecutor in financial matters. We only know of the title

in connection with Asia Minor. Cf. Cic. ad Fam. xiii 56, 'Mylasii et Alabandenses pecuniam Cluvio debent. Dixerat mihi Euthydemus, quum Ephesi essem, se curaturum ut Ecdici Mylasii Romam mitterentur. Id factum non est. Legatos audio missos esse, sed malo ecdicos, ut

aliquid confici possit.' The Latin equivalent would be 'cognitor civitatis,' or in later times, 'defensor civitatis.' Avantius and Aldus read 'Medicus.'

donata ei publice. Cf. Digest, 50, 2, 8, 'Decurionibus facultatibus lapsis alimenta decerni permissum est, maxime si ob munificentiam in patriam patrimonium exhauserint.'

bule et ecclesia consentiente. Cf. Ep. 81, 116; 39, 112, 114, for mention of the bule and buleutae. In some of the free towns of Greek constitution, the members of the bule were selected every year, and received pay for their attendance. The popular assemblies also in

3 bule, B.; boyali, Avant.

4 utebanturque, Avant. and Ald.
nitebaturque, ed. Basileensis.

the towns of Italy and the provinces were retained long after the comitia in Rome had been abolished, not only in connection with elections, but in decrees and municipal ordinances of all kinds. Cf. Henz. 7171, 'splendidissimus ordo consentiente populo . censuerunt,' and 'ordo populusque Corfiniensum'; 5171, 'ordo splendidissimus et universus populus. constituit'; 5185, 'decuriones et plebs.' Momms. Inscrip. Neap. 2342, 'decurionem decreto et populi consensu.' In the Greek provinces the ecclesiae are mentioned at Tarsus; Dio Chrys. ii, P. 43, 'ous . . ἐχρῆν ἀπελάσαι καὶ μὴ παραδέχεσθαι ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις'; Prusa, Dio Chrys. or. 48, p. 236,трŵтоV μÈV ὦ ἄνερες τῷ κρατίστῳ Ουαρίνῳ δεῖ χάριν ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι—ὅτι βουλομένοις ἡμῖν ἐκκλησιάσαι πάλιν ἐφῆκεν '; Tralles, C. I. Gr. 2927, τοῖς ψηφίσμασι τῆς τε βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ δήμου.

mandatis tuis, quibus eiusmodi donationes vetantur. It is easy to understand how this custom of public donations was liable to be abused, and as Trajan gave Pliny special instructions to rectify the financial affairs of the cities (Ep. 18), this was one of the first practices to which he would put a stop.

contulisse

et erogasse, i.e. previous to the donatio. Piso's contention is that the donatio was given to him to make up for what he had previously spent upon the city. Cf. id quod pro multis accepisset.'

reddere cogeretur. In later times the revocatio of donations made by individuals to one another was carefully provided for in certain cases. See Cod. viii 5, 5, 'de revocandis donationibus.'

totas facultates erogasse dicebat. Addebat etiam temporis spatium postulabatque ne id quod pro multis et olim accepisset cum eversione reliquae dignitatis reddere cogeretur.

Quibus

ex causis integram cognitionem differendam existimavi, ut te, domine, consulerem quid sequendum putares.

CXI [CXII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Sicut largitiones ex publico fieri mandata prohibent, ita, ne multorum securitas subruatur, factas ante aliquantum temporis retractari átque in inritum vindicari non oportet. Quidquid

ergo ex hac causa actum ante viginti annos erit, omittamus. Non minus enim hominibus cuiusque loci quam pecuniae publicae consultum volo.

It is true that my instructions forbid public grants of money to be made, but to avoid undermining the position of individuals, such grants if made before a certain date must not be revoked nor called in question. Any case therefore previous to the last twenty years, we will leave out of account. For I have the interests of individuals at heart no less than those of the cities.

retractari. Cf. Suet. Aug. 34, 'leges

retractavit'; Verg. Aen. xii II, nihil est quod dicta retractent.'

in inritum vindicari, should be reclaimed as invalid. Cf. the phrase 'in libertatem vindicare.'

non minus enim hominibus, etc. Similarly Trajan refused to compel the decuriones, as Pliny suggested, to become public fund-holders, Ep. 55.

consultum volo. Cf. Cic. de Fin. iii 17, 'liberis consultum volumus.'

CXII [CXIII]

De adiectione buletarum

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Lex Pompeia, domine, qua Bithyni et Pontici utuntur, eos qui in bulen a censoribus leguntur dare pecuniam non iubet : sed ii quos indulgentia tua quibusdam civitatibus super legiti2 in bulen a, B. and Ald. in bulena a, Avant.

3 sed iis, Avant.

The Lex Pompeia, sire, by which Bithynia and Pontus are regulated, does not compel those senators appointed by the censors to pay an entrance fee; but those who have been added to the senates. of particular states in excess of the legitimate number have paid an entrance-fee

Q

Subse

of one or two thousand denarii.
quently Anicius Maximus, when pro-
consul, ordained, though only in reference
to a few cities, that those also appointed
by the censors should pay a fee, varying
in different towns. Will you therefore
decide whether for the future all senators

I

mum numerum adicere permisit et singula milia denariorum 2 et bina intulerunt. Anicius deinde Maximus proconsul eos etiam qui a censoribus legerentur, dumtaxat in paucissimis 3 civitatibus, aliud aliis, iussit inferre. Superest ergo ut ipse dispicias an in omnibus civitatibus certum aliquid omnes qui deinde buleutae leguntur debeant pro introitu dare. Nam quod in perpetuum mansurum est a te constitui decet, cuius factis dictisque debetur aeternitas.

6 bulentae, Avant.

shall pay some fixed and compulsory entrance-fee? For any permanent ruling must proceed from you.

§ 1. Lex Pompeia. See note on Ep. 79, I.

qui in bulen a censoribus leguntur. See on Ep. 79, 3.

quos indulgentia tua super legitimum numerum adicere permisit. In addition to the decuriones appointed in the ordinary way by the censors, persons who had specially distinguished themselves were with special permission of the emperor (tua indulgentia) appointed by a decree of the senate itself. These were called 'adlecti,' i.e. properly, men appointed from another order. Cf. Suet. Claud. 24, 'libertinorum filios in senatum adlegisse'; Vesp. 9, 'honestissimo quoque Italicorum et provincialium adlecto.' These adlecti' might be merely appointed to the senate without special distinction; or they might be classed among the higher grades of decuriones. Orell. 2533, 'Veratio Severiano. lecto in ordin. decurion. civi amantissimo, qui cum privilegio sacerdoti Caeninensis munitus potuisset et honorib. et munerib. facile excusari, praeposito amore patriae, et honorem aedilitat. laudabiliter

Cf.

ad

administravit,' etc.; Orell. 3882, 3745, 'hunc decuriones ob liberalitatem cum esset annorum sex ordini suo gratis adlegerunt'; 1229, 3816, 'hunc decuriones gratis in ordinem suum adlegerunt duumviralium numero'; 4020, 'Q. II virali. ornamentis suffrag. sanct. ordinis honoratus'; 5280, 7147. Cf. also Ep. 39, 5, ex ea pecunia quam buleutae additi beneficio tuo aut iam obtulerunt ob introitum aut nobis exigentibus conferunt.'

super legitimum numerum, usually 100. See on Ep. 8, 2. In the album Canusinum, however, the four aḍlecti inter quinquennalicios are included in the 100; and only the patroni and praetextati are super legitimum numerum.'

et singula milia denarorium et bina; probably according as they were merely appointed to the bule, or were ranked among one of the higher classes in it.

§ 2. dumtaxat. See note on Ep. 33. § 3. quod in perpetuum mansurum est. Cf. Ep. 108, 'per quod utilitatibus eorum in perpetuum consulatur.'

cuius factis dictisque debetur aeternitas, 'whose every word and deed deserves to be immortalised,' Melmoth.

CXIII [CXIIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Honorarium decurionatus omnes qui in quaque civitate Bithyniae decuriones fiunt inferre debeant necne, in universum

I in, om. Avant, and Ald.

No general rule can be laid down as to whether all senators should be bound to pay a fee or not. The safest course is here, as always, to follow the custom of

2 in, om. Avant., add. Ald.

each city, at any rate in regard to those who are made senators against their will. Those who are appointed with their own consent will, I imagine, be anxious by

a me non potest statui. Id ergo quod semper tutissimum est, sequendam cuiusque civitatis legem puto, sed adversus eos qui

2 sed adversus, B. scilicet adversos, Avant. and Ald.

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This is

sed adversus eos, but as regards those. Aldus conjectured 'scilicet. qui inviti fiunt decuriones. the earliest allusion to compulsory appointment to the municipal senates. The tendency, however, begins from about this time to elect to the senate, not from ex - magistrates so much as from the wealthier class of possessores. So Pliny (Ep. 79) in asking whether those who have not held any magistracy may be appointed senators after the age of twentytwo adds, 'quod alioqui factitatum adhuc et esse necessarium dicitur, quia sit aliquanto melius honestiorum hominum liberos quam e plebe in curiam admitti.' Later still this was carried further, and Paulus says in the Digest, 50, 2, 7, § 2, decurionum honoribus plebeii fungi prohibentur.' These wealthier decuriones then held the magistracies after their appointment to the senate, and this gradually came to be the rule. Digest, 50, 2, 7, 2, 'is, qui non sit decurio, duumviratu vel aliis honoribus fungi non potest.' The decuriones were also expected to undertake various curationes and munera for the central government, as, e.g. that of collecting the tributum ; Digest, 50, 1, 17, 7, exigendi tributi munus inter sordida munera non habetur, et ideo decurionibus quoque mandatur.' Finally the decuriones were compelled to assume the responsibility for all the burdens and liabilities of their cities, and their position became an almost unbearable slavery. Cf. Digest, 50, 2, 1, 'decuriones quos sedibus civitatis ad quam

pertinent relictis in alia loca transmigrasse probabitur, praeses provinciae in patrium solum revocare et muneribus congruentibus fungi curet.' Id. 50, 2, 2, 8, 'maiores annis quinquaginta quinque ad decurionatus honorem inviti vocari constitutionibus prohibentur.' However the tendency to all this had only just begun in Trajan's time, and the position was still one generally of honour and dignity.

qui sponte flunt id existimo acturos, etc. The passage is corrupt as it stands in Avantius, ‘inviti fiunt decuriones id existimo acturos ut praefatio ceteris praeferatur.' Catanaeus altered this to 'inviti fiunt decuriones: id existimo acturos ut erogatio ceteris praeferatur,' which Gesner interprets to mean 'I imagine that the censor will take care that those who pay (erogatio=qui erogant) shall be preferred to those who do not.' I do not, however, see that apart from MS. authority (which we cannot assume in Catanaeus) erogatio (payment) has any advantage over praefatio (solemn promise to pay; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 80, 186, 'praefatio donationis '); while either word with 'ceteris praeferatur' forms an unendurable phrase. Schaefer suggests

'inviti fiunt decuriones. Ceteros existimo id acturos ut erogatio praeferatur,' which leaves the last clause without any intelligible meaning. Orelli emends 'inviti fiunt decuriones, id existimo acturos ut praestatio ceteris proferatur'='I imagine the censors will take care that payment should be deferred in the case of the rest.' But this still leaves 'acturos' without a subject; while the fact of immediate or later payment seems unconnected with the case in point. Mommsen suggests 'inviti fiunt. Qui sponte fiunt decuriones ita existimo facturos ut praefati id ceteris praeferantur'; praefati id meaning by a statement that they will pay the fee.' With the help of these two last emendations I venture to read inviti fiunt decuriones. Qui sponte fiunt id existimo acturos ut praestatione ceteris praeferantur.'

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praestatione. Cf. Digest, 31, 1, 35, 'praestatio dotis'; ib. 10, 3, 7, 'vectigalium praestatio. Cod. Iust. 3, 33, 10, sub certa annua praestatione.'

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inviti fiunt decuriones. Qui sponte fiunt id existimo acturos,

ut praestatione ceteris praeferantur.

I fiunt decuriones id existimo acturos

ut praefatio ceteris praeferatur,

Avant.

fi. dec.; exist. id act. ut erogatio ceteris praeferatur, Ald.

For conjectures see note ad loc.

CXIIII [CXV]

De adiectione civium

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

Lege, domine, Pompeia, permissum Bithynicis civitatibus adscribere sibi quos vellent cives, dum ne quem earum civitatum quae sunt in Bithynia.

2 dum ne quem earum civitatum, B. dum neque merum civ. Avant. dumtaxat earum civ. Cat.

§ 1. The cities of Bithynia, sire, are allowed by the lex Pompeia to confer their citizenship on any persons they like, provided they are not already citizens of any Bithynian community. The same law lays down the reasons which justify expulsion from the senate by the censors. § 2. Accordingly I have been consulted by some of the censors as to whether they are bound to expel those who belong to another Bithynian city. § 3. The law expressly forbids such men to be admitted as citizens, but it says nothing about their expulsion from the senate. Moreover I hear that many senators in every state are. in this position, and, as this part of the law has long been neglected, that great confusion would be caused to individuals and cities by insisting on it. I therefore thought it best to ask your advice. I append the clauses of the law in question.

Lege Pompeia, see on Ep. 79.

adscribere sibi quos vellent cives. All communities consisted of cives and incolae, the latter being those who had taken up a permanent abode (domicilium) in the city. These incolae might become citizens either by the adoption of a civis or by 'adlectio inter cives' on the part of the municipality. Cod. Iust. 10, 39, 7, 'cives quidem origo, manumissio, adlectio vel adoptio, incolas vero domicilium facit.'

dum ne quem earum civitatum, etc. A Roman citizen could only receive the civitas of another city joined by a foedus with Rome by losing as an exile or voluntary giving up the Roman civitas.

Eadem lege sancitur quibus de

dum civitatis non sint alienae sed suarum quisque matrum civ, Ald.

Cic. pro Balb. xii 29, 'Quod si civi Romano licet esse Gaditanum sive exilio sive postliminio sive reiectione huius civitatis,' and again 'atqui ceterae civitates omnes non dubitarent nostros recipere in suas civitates si idem nos iuris haberemus quod ceteri. Sed nos non possumus et huius esse civitatis et cuiusvis praeterea; ceteris concessum est.' Cf. also Tac. Ann. iv. 43, 'Tum tractatae Manssiliensium preces, probatumque P. Rutilii exemplum. Namque eum legibus pulsum civem sibi Smyrnaei addiderant. Quo iure Vulcatius Moschus exul in Massilienses receptus bona sua reipublicae eorum ut patriae reliquerat.' În Achaia apparently there was no restriction on the adlectio of cives from other cities of the same province. Cf. Cic. pro Balb. xii 30, 'Itaque in Graecis civitatibus videmus Athenis, Rhodios, Lacedaemonios, ceteros undique adscribi multarumque esse eosdem homines civitatum.' But this would obviously give rise to many inconveniences and confusions, which Pompeius in drawing up the lex provinciae for Bithynia and Pontus aimed at avoiding by this proviso, 'dum ne quem earum civitatum quae sunt in Bithynia.' As to the reading, I have restored that of the Bodleian copy where the reading of Avantius 'dum neque merum civitatum' is altered by an obvious correction. Catanaeus reads 'dumtaxat earum civitatum,' and the Aldine edition 'dum civitatis non sint alienae, sed suarum quisque matrum civitatum.' But these are evidently mere conjectures, and

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