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causis e senatu a censoribus eiciantur. Inde me quidam ex 2 censoribus consulendum putaverunt an eicere deberent eum qui esset alterius civitatis. Ego, quia lex sicut adscribi civem 3 alienum vetabat, ita eici e senatu ob hanc causam non iubebat, praeterea quod adfirmabatur mihi in omni civitate plurimos esse buleutas ex aliis civitatibus futurumque ut multi homines multaeque civitates concuterentur, ea parte legis quae iam pridem consensu quodam exolevisset, necessarium existimavi consulere te quid servandum putares. Capita legis his litteris subieci.

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depend on the mistaken idea that it was more allowable to admit citizens from other Bithynian towns than from other provinces. Orelli had already seen what the real reading was in his edition of 1838.

e senatu a censoribus eiciantur. The reasons for expulsion from the senate are given in lex Iul. Munic. 105-124, they were mainly conviction on any criminal charge, 'queive iudicio publico Romae condemnatus est erit . . . neque in integrum restitutus est erit.' See also lex Col. Gen. c 105 and Mommsen, Eph. Epigr. ii p. 133; also Dig. 50, 2, 2, 'qui ad tempus relegatus est, si decurio sit, desinet esse decurio,' ib. 2, 5, ' ad tempus ordine motos ex crimine quod ignominiam importat in perpetuum moveri placuit,' 48 10, 13. The Aldine edition interpolates after eiciantur, inter quas nihil de cive aliquo cavetur,' which is not required. See § 3, 'ita eici e senatu ob hanc causam non iubebat.'

§2. qui esset alterius civitatis, i.e. of course of another Bithynian state. Such persons by the lex Pompeia would be incolae, who though bound to undertake the munera of the city in which their domicilium was (Cod. Iust. 10 40(39)5), were strictly not allowed to hold any of the 'honores municipales,' Cic. de Off. i 34, 125, 'peregrini autem et incolae officium est, nihil praeter suum negotium agere nihil de alio conquirere, minimeque esse in aliena republica curiosum.' But in exceptional cases they were allowed to do this. Cf. Agennius Urbicus in

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Gromat. p. 84 (cited in Marquadt, Staatsverw. i p. 136), 'sed haec quaedam coloniae aut beneficio conditorum perceperunt, ut Tadertini, aut postea apud principes egerunt, ut Fanestres, ut incolae etiam si essent alienigenae, qui intra territorium colerent, omnibus honoribus fungi in colonia deberent.' So Orell. 3725, 'adlectus in curiam Lugdunensium nomine incolatus a splendidissimo ordine eorum,' also 2066, 'ÎI Vir et incola,' 3709, 'incola ex DD (decreto decurionum) municip. municipi pontif.' As the decurionatus became more a burden and less an honour, cases of this kind naturally became more frequent.

§3. ita eici e senatu ob hanc causam non iubebat, because at that period the practice of admitting incolae to the senate had not commenced.

concuterentur. Cf. Plin. Panegyr. 6'confugit in sinum tuum concussa res publica. Tac. Hist. iii 45, 'concussa Transrhenanorum fide,' Ann. xiv 43, concusso senatus consulto.' Liv. xxviii 44, II, concusso iam et paene tracto Hannibale.'

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ea parte legis quae. This is the reading of the Aldine edition which I have here adopted in preference to Keil's cum ea pars legis iampridem,' as least diverging from the reading of Avantius, ea pars legis quae iampridem.' Catanaeus interpolates 'si revocaretur' before ea pars.'

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CXV [CXVI]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Merito haesisti, Secunde carrissime, quid a te rescribi oporteret censoribus consulentibus, an manere debeant in senatu aliarum civitatum, eiusdem tamen provinciae cives. Nam et legis auctoritas et longa consuetudo usurpata contra legem in diversum movere te potuit. Mihi hoc temperamentum eius placuit ut ex praeterito nihil moveremus, sed manerent quamvis contra legem adsciti quarumcumque civitatum cives, in futurum autem lex Pompeia observaretur; cuius vim si retro quoque velimus custodire, multa necesse est perturbari.

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You had good reason for hesitating as to your answer, my dear Pliny, to the question of the censors whether citizens belonging to other communities in the same province could be allowed to remain in the senate. For the authority of the law would lead you to one decision, and long continued practice prevailing in spite of it to another. A compromise seems necessary; let us make no change in the past; let the senators of all states, however illegally appointed retain their seats; but in future let the Pompeian law be observed. To make the change retrospective would no doubt cause confusion.

an manere deberent. The reading of Avantius is 'an . . in senatum--cives.' The hiatus has been variously filled up. The Bodleian copy and Aldus have 'an legerent in senatum,' etc. Beroaldus an in senatum-cives adscriberentur.' But this was not the question of the censors; it was whether they were bound to expel

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usurpata, the idea of illegality in usurpare is post-Augustan. Cf. Suet. Claud. 25, Romanam civitatem usurpantes securi percussit.' Tac. Ann. xiv 26, 'incendiis perpopulatus possessionem Armeniae usurpabat.' Dig. 47, 22, 2, 'quisquis illicitum collegium usurpaverit.'

nihil moveremus. This makes equally good sense and is slightly nearer to the unintelligible 'noveremus of Avantius than the 'novaremus' of Aldus.

manerent, i.e. in senatu; see above.

retro. For its meaning of 'in past time,' cf. Cic. de Rep. i 37, 58, 'et deinceps retro usque ad Romulum.' Orell. 1098, omnes retro principes.' Hor. Od. iii 29, 46, quodcumque retro est.'

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CXVI [CXVII]

C PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI

De divisione sportularum

Qui virilem togam sumunt vel nuptias faciunt vel ineunt magistratum vel opus publicum dedicant, solent totam bulen

atque etiam e plebe non exiguum numerum vocare binosque denarios vel singulos dare. Quod an celebrandum et quatenus Ipse enim (sicut arbitror), praesertim ex 2

putes rogo scribas.

§ I. Those who assume the ‘toga virilis,' or celebrate a wedding, or enter on a magistracy, or dedicate a public work, invite sometimes the whole senate and considerable number of the plebs, giving each a present of one or two denarii. I should be glad to know how far this should be allowed. § 2. It was, I believe, your own order that on special occasions the invitations should be allowed, but I am afraid that those who invite a thousand or more exceed the limit which should be observed and practically make a public distribution.

virilem togam. Cf. Pliny Ep. 1, 9, 2, 'Si quem interroges "hodie quid egisti," respondeat officio togae virilis interfui sponsalia aut nuptias frequentavi,' etc. At the beginning of the sixteenth year (though the exact age has been much disputed) youths laid aside the toga praetexta, and assumed the toga virilis. Suet. Aug. 8: Caligula was not allowed to do so till he was twenty; Suet. Calig. 10, 'inde vicessimo aetatis anno accitus Capreas... uno atque eodem die togam sumpsit barbamque posuit.' On the other hand, Nero assumed it earlier than usual. Tac. Ann. xii 41, 'virilis toga Neroni maturata.' The ceremony was called 'tirocinium fori,' Suet. Aug. 26, 'petiit ut... suo quemque tirocinio deduceret in forum.' Suet. Tib. 54, diemque utriusque tirocinii . celebravit.' id. Ner. 7, 'deductus in forum tiro.' The toga vir. was white without the purple stripe of the praetexta, and hence was called 'toga pura,' Cic. ad Att. v 20; or toga libera, because his independent life was to begin, Ovid. Trist. v 777, 'vestis quoque libera per te Sumitur et vitae liberioris iter.' The ceremony usually took place on the Liberalia, i.e. March 16, Ovid. Fast. iii 771. A sacrifice to the Lares was first performed, Pers. v 30, before whose altar the insignia puerilia were deposited. After proceeding to the forum, the party offered a sacrifice on the Capitol, Suet. Claud. 2; and the youth could then in theory though not in practice take part in public life. No doubt a similar ceremony took place in the provinces, and the invitation banquet would close the proceedings. See Becker's Gallus, pp. 195-197, and Pauly, Real Encyclop. vol. vi, p. 1995.

ineunt magistratum. The motive for this extensive banquet after election

to a magistracy was the fact that popular election was retained in the provincial towns long after in Rome it had been transferred to the senate (Tac. Ann. i 15). So at Lugdunum we find a man, 'II Vir designatus ex postulatione populi.' The numerous wall-inscriptions at Pompeii prove the same thing. See Wilmann, 1952 to 1959; also Henz. 6975; 6566, etc.

opus publicum dedicant. For dedicare in the sense of consecrating a thing to its future use, cf. Suet. Aug. 43, 'commissione ludorum quibus theatrum Marcelli dedicabat'; id. Ner. 12 and 31; Vesp. 19, amphitheatro dedicato.' See also Ep. 81, 'cum adsignari civitati opus

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vocare. These public banquets were given frequently by the emperors, Suet. Aug. 74, convivabatur assidue, nec unquam nisi recta ; non sine magno ordinum hominumque delectu.' Tib. 34, 'solemnibus cenis;' Claud. 32, convivia agitant et ampla et assidua ac fere patentissimis locis, ut plerumque sexcen teni simul discernerent;' Vesp. 19, Dom.

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Publicae cenae were also given by individuals on such occasions as birthdays as well as those mentioned in this letter. Cf. Appuleius, Apol. p. 416, 'Quippe ita placuerat ut in suburbana villa potius coniungeremur, ne cives denuo ad sportulas convolarent, cum haud pridem Pudentilla de suo quinquaginta milia nummum in populum expunxisset ea die qua Pontianus uxorem duxit, et hic puerulus toga est involutus.' Nero reduced them to a mere gift of money and food which was carried away, (Suet. Ner. 16, adhibitus sumptibus modus publicae cenae ad sportulas redactae. Domitian, however, rescinded this. Suet. Dom. 7, 'sportulas publicas sustulit,

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revocata rectarum cenarum consuetudine.' How far these edicts of Nero and Domitian applied to the provinces as well as Rome we do not know. In Bithynia at any rate the cenae publicae seem to have been combined with a sportula or moneydole of one or two denarii (16 or 32 asses). The usual sportula at Rome given to the clients, and even, according to Juvenal, to the nobility as well, was 100 quadrantes (25 asses). Friedländer, vol. i pp. 420-422.

quod et quatenus. Cf. Ep. 96, 1. ex solemnibus causis. Solemnis has here rather more the common post

sollemnibus causis, concedendas iussisti invitationes, at vereor ne ii qui mille homines, interdum etiam plures vocant modum excedere et in speciem dianomes incidere videantur.

I concedendum iussi immutationes, Avant.

concedendum iussi invitationes,

Ald.

conced. ius invitationis, Schaeffer. conced. iussisti invit. B. and Budaeus.

Augustan signification of usual' or 'ordinary'; it means rather 'accompanied by solemnia.' It would therefore include the tirocinium fori' and 'nuptiae'; would certainly exclude election to a magistracy, and might or might not include the dedicatio operis.'

mille homines. The publicae cenae of Claudius were considered 'amplae'; but he only invited 600 guests. Suet. Claud. 32, cited above.

concedendas iussisti invitationes. Iussisti is the reading both of Budaeus and the Bodleian copy, and as both profess to be taken from the Parisian codex, their agreement is nearly conclusive. I have however altered concedendum' into 'concedendas,' as the 'poenas in morbe timendum est' of Lucretius does not justify the same construction in Pliny. 'You, I believe, gave orders (i.e. to previous proconsuls) that invitations should be allowed, especially,' etc. Avantius has concedendum iussi immutationes;' Schaeffer

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concedendas esse invit. Or.

at, Avant. Ald., etc.

3 dianomes, B.

diamories, Avant.

diamones, Ald.

incipere, Avant. and Ald. incidere, Cat.

conjectures 'concedendum ius invitationis'; and Orelli, 'concedendas esse invitationes.'

in speciem dianomes. Cf. the term 'divisores,' professional bribers who undertook to distribute a candidate's money

among the tribes. Cic. pro Planc. xix 48, 'doce id... quo divisore corrupta sit ;' id. in Verr. i 8, 22, 'divisores omnium tribuum noctu ad istum vocates. id. pro Mar. xxvi 84, 'de divisorum indiciis et de deprehensis pecuniis.' So dianome here means-distribution for corrupt ends. Elsewhere divisio is used of legal distributions of money by testament, etc.; Dig. 30, 122, 'quod ad divisionem singulorum civium vel epulum relictum fuerit.' ib. 33, 1, 23, cum quidam decurionibus divisiones dari voluisset die natalis sui, etc. Orell. 3094, 4396. The reading of Avantius was 'diamories'; of the Aldine edition 'diamones'; dianomes was first conjectured by Casaubon, and is now confirmed by the Bodleian copy.

CXVII [CXVIII]

TRAIANUS PLINIO S.

Merito vereris ne in speciem dianomes incidat invitatio, quae et in numero modum excedit et quasi per corpora, non viritim singulos ex notitia, ad sollemnes sportulas contrahit. Sed ego ideo prudentiam tuam elegi ut formandis istius proI in malam speciem, Budaeus.

You are right in fearing lest the custom of general invitations should lead to corrupt practices, if the guests are excessive in number and are invited to these festivities collectively rather than individually. But I have appointed you for the express purpose of influencing the manners and customs of the province, and you must

immutatio, Avant.

take what measures are necessary to its lasting tranquility.

quasi per corpora, e.g., the whole senate was invited, and it is not improbable that the various collegia or guilds may have been invited collectively. That these collegia exercised considerable influence in the comitia, we know from the

vinciae moribus ipse moderareris et ea constitueres quae ad perpetuam eius provinciae quietem essent profutura.

I constitueres, Ernesti. constitutus, Avant. and Ald.

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Athletae, domine, ea quae pro iselasticis certaminibus con- I stituisti deberi sibi putant statim ex eo die quo sunt coronati : nihil enim referre quando sint patriam invecti, sed quando cerI cohortaminibus, Avant. certaminibus, B. and Ald.

2 statum, Avant.

§ 1. The athletic victors, sire, consider that the rewards which you have established for the Iselastic contests should date from the day on which they were crowned, and not from that of their triumphal entry into their native city. I, however, looking to the meaning of the term, greatly doubt whether the date of the public entry should not be looked to. § 2. They also claim the rewards for those contests, which you only decreed should be iselastic, after their victories. They say it is only fair that, as they do not receive the rewards for those contests which since their victories have ceased to be iselastic, so they should receive them for those which have since become so. Here, too, I am very doubtful whether any retrospective claims should be allowed, and rewards given, which at the date of the victories could not be claimed. beg you, therefore, to give an authoritative ruling about those benefactions.

§ 3.

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§ 1. pro iselasticis certaminibus. The locus classicus for those institutions is Vitruv. pref. 9, 'Nobilibus athletis qui Olympia, Pythia, Isthmia, Nemea vicissent, Graecorum maiores ita magnos

honores constituerunt, uti non modo in conventu stantes cum palma et corona ferant laudes, sed etiam quum revertuntur in suas civitates cum victoria triumphantes quadrigis in moenia et in patrias invehantur e reque publica perpetua vita constitutis vectigalibus fruantur.' So cf. Dio Cass. 63, 20, "'ETεl δ ̓ οὖν ἐς τὴν Ῥώμην ἐσήλασε, τοῦ τε τείχους τι καθηρέθη καὶ τῶν πυλῶν περιερράγη νενομίσθαι τινῶν λεγόντων ἑκάτερον τοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἀγώνων στεφανηφόροις γίγνεσθαι; and Suet. Ner. 25, 'Reversus e Graecia Neapolim, quod in ea primum artem protulerat, albis equis introit, disiecta parte muri, ut mos hieronicarum est.' It is possible that 'asticos ludos' in Suet. Calig. 20 should be 'iselasticos ludos,' though Friedländer prefers 'Actiacos ludos.' It is clear from this letter that Trajan (1) increased the vectigalia or obsonia or iselastica which these victors received, and which may probably have consisted in a daily allowance either of money or food; (2) that he gave the privileges of iselastic contests to some which hitherto had not had it; and (3) took them away from others. The Pialia

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