63 (13.) — TO TRAJAN.
Lycormas, your freedman, has written me word, sir, that if any embassy came here from Bosphorus, on its way to Rome, it should be detained till his arrival. Now no embassy has as yet come, at any rate to the city in which I am: but a courier has come from the king of Sarmatia: and availing myself of the opportunity which chance offered, I have thought it right to send him on in company with the courier who preceded Lycormas, that you might be informed at the same time, by the letters of Lycormas and those of the king, of matters which perhaps ought to come to your knowledge at one and the same time.
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64. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
Rex Sauromates scripsit mihi esse quaedam, quae deberes quam maturissime scire. Qua ex causa festinationem tabellarii, quem ad te cum epistulis misit, diplomate adiuvi.
64 (14.) — TO TRAJAN.
The king of Sarmatia has written me word that there are some matters on which you ought to be informed as soon as possible. For this reason I have helped to hasten the courier, whom he has sent to you with despatches, by the grant of a passport.
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65. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Magna, domine, et ad totam provinciam pertinens quaestio est de condicione et alimentis eorum, quos vocant ‘threptous’. 2 In qua ego auditis constitutionibus principum, quia nihil inveniebam aut proprium aut universale, quod ad Bithynos referretur, consulendum te existimavi, quid observari velles; neque putavi posse me in eo, quod auctoritatem tuam posceret, exemplis esse contentum. 3 Recitabatur autem apud me edictum, quod dicebatur divi Augusti, ad Andaniam pertinens; recitatae et epistulae divi Vespasiani ad Lacedaemonios et divi Titi ad eosdem et Achaeos et Domitiani ad Avidium Tigrinum et Armenium Brocchum proconsules, item ad Lacedaemonios; quae ideo tibi non misi, quia et parum emendata et quaedam non certae fidei videbantur, et quia vera et emendata in scriniis tuis esse credebam.
65 (71.) — TO TRAJAN.
A great question, sir, and one affecting the whole province, is that of the status and keep of those who are called “foundlings.” In this matter, after hearing the constitutions of the Emperors, as I could find nothing in them either of a particular or a general kind applicable to the Bithynians, I have judged it proper to consult you as to the course you would have pursued: nor, indeed, did I think that in a matter demanding your supreme judgment I could possibly be satisfied with a mere precedent. An edict was, however, cited to me, which was said to be one by the Emperor Augustus relating to Annia. Letters were also cited of the Emperor Vespasian to the Lacedæmonians, of the Emperor Titus to the same, and of Domitian to the proconsuls Avidius Nigrinus and Armenius Brocchus, also to the Lacedæmonians. These I have not sent to you, because they seemed to me to be mere rough drafts and some of them of doubtful authenticity, and because I believe the genuine and corrected letters to be among your archives.
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66. TRAIANUS PLINIO
1 Quaestio ista, quae pertinet ad eos qui liberi nati expositi, deinde sublati a quibusdam et in servitute educati sunt, saepe tractata est, nec quicquam invenitur in commentariis eorum principum, qui ante me fuerunt, quod ad omnes provincias sit constitutum. 2 Epistulae sane sunt Domitiani ad Avidium Nigrinum et Armenium Brocchum, quae fortasse debeant observari: sed inter eas provincias, de quibus rescripsit, non est Bithynia; et ideo nec assertionem denegandam iis qui ex eius modi causa in libertatem vindicabuntur puto, neque ipsam libertatem redimendam pretio alimentorum.
66 (72.) — TRAJAN TO PLINY.
This question — relating to those who, born free, have been exposed, and have been subsequently taken up by certain parties and reared in servitude — has been often treated of; yet there is nothing to be found in the commentaries of the Emperors who have preceded me, in the shape of a settled rule for all the provinces. There are, to be sure, letters of Domitian to Avidius Nigrinus and Armenius Brocchus, which, perhaps, ought to be had in regard, but between those provinces which are the subjects of his rescript... among which is Bithynia. I think, therefore, that an adjudication of freedom should not be refused to those who claim their liberty on these grounds, and, moreover, that this same liberty does not need to be purchased at the price of their keep.
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67. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Legato Sauromatae regis; cum sua sponte Nicaeae, ubi me invenerat, biduo substitisset, longiorem moram faciendam, domine, non putavi, primum quod incertum adhuc erat, quando libertus tuus Lycormas venturus esset, deinde quod ipse proficiscebar in diversam provinciae partem, ita officii necessitate exigente. 2 Haec in notitiam tuam perferenda existimavi, quia proxime scripseram petisse Lycormam, ut legationem, si qua venisset a Bosporo, usque in adventum suum retinerem. Quod diutius faciendi nulla mihi probabilis ratio occurrit, praesertim cum epistulae Lycormae, quas detinere, ut ante praedixi, nolui, aliquot diebus hinc legatum antecessurae viderentur.
67 (15.) — TO TRAJAN.
The ambassador of the king of Sarmatia having, of his own choice, halted a couple of days at Nicæa, where he found me, I judged, sir, that he ought not to be detained longer: first, because it was still uncertain when your freedman Lycormas would come, and next because I was myself starting for the other side of the province where the requirements of my office called me. I have thought these circumstances should be brought to your knowledge, because I recently wrote to you that Lycormas had asked me to detain till his arrival any embassy that might come from Bosphorus. No satisfactory reason occurs to me for doing this any longer, particularly as the letters of Lycormas (which I was unwilling, as I have before told you, to detain) seemed likely to precede this ambassador by some days.
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68. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
Petentibus quibusdam, ut sibi reliquias suorum aut propter iniuriam vetustatis aut propter fluminis incursum aliaque his similia quocumque secundum exemplum proconsulum transferre permitterem, quia sciebam in urbe nostra ex eius modi causa collegium pontificum adiri solere, te, domine, maximum pontificem consulendum putavi, quid observare me velis.
68 (73.) — TO TRAJAN.
Certain parties have petitioned me to allow them, in accordance with the precedents of former governors, to transfer the ashes of their relations, either on account of the injuries done by time, or the encroachments of the river, or on a variety of other similar grounds. Knowing that at Rome, in cases of this kind, application is wont to be made to the Pontifical College, I have thought it right to consult you, sir, who are Pontifex Maximus, as to what course you would have me follow.
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69. TRAIANUS PLINIO
Durum est iniungere necessitatem provincialibus pontificum adeundorum, si reliquias suorum propter aliquas iustas causas transferre ex loco in alium locum velint. Sequenda ergo potius tibi exempla sunt eorum, qui isti provinciae praefuerunt, et ut causa cuique, ita aut permittendum aut negandum.
69 (74.) — TRAJAN TO PLINY.
It would be hard to inflict on the provincials the necessity of applying to the Pontifices, if they are desirous, on any good grounds, of transferring the ashes of their relatives from the place where these lie to some other. You should, therefore, rather follow the precedents of those who have governed that province: and give the permission, or refuse it in each case, according to the merits.
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70. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Quaerenti mihi, domine, Prusae ubi posset balineum quod indulsisti fieri, placuit locus in quo fuit aliquando domus, ut audio, pulchra, nunc deformis ruinis. Per hoc enim consequemur, ut foedissima facies civitatis ornetur, atque etiam ut ipsa civitas amplietur nec ulla aedificia tollantur, sed quae sunt vetustate sublapsa relaxentur in melius. 2 Est autem huius domus condicio talis: legaverat eam Claudiu
s Polyaenus Claudio Caesari iussitque in peristylio templum ei fieri, reliqua ex domo locari. Ex ea reditum aliquamdiu civitas percepit; deinde paulatim partim spoliata, partim neglecta cum peristylio domus tota collapsa est, ac iam paene nihil ex ea nisi solum superest; quod tu, domine, sive donaveris civitati sive venire iusseris, propter opportunitatem loci pro summo munere accipiet. 3 Ego, si permiseris, cogito in area vacua balineum collocare, eum autem locum, in quo aedificia fuerunt, exedra et porticibus amplecti atque tibi consecrare, cuius beneficio elegans opus dignumque nomine tuo fiet. 4 Exemplar testamenti, quamquam mendosum, misi tibi; ex quo cognosces multa Polyaenum in eiusdem domus ornatum reliquisse, quae ut domus ipsa perierunt, a me tamen in quantum potuerit requirentur.
70 (75.) — TO TRAJAN.
On my inquiring, sir, whereabouts in Prusa the baths which you have accorded could be built, I pitched upon a spot where there was once, I am told, a fine house, now an unsightly ruin. In this way we shall insure that the extremely filthy aspect of the city will be improved, and even that the city itself will be enlarged, without any buildings being pulled down, but such as are crumbling with age being rebuilt on a larger and improved scale.
The circumstances of this house, however, are as follows. Claudius Polyænus left it by will to Claudius Cæsar, with the injunction that a temple should be raised to him in the peristyle, and the rest of the house should be let. For some time the commonwealth derived a revenue from it: afterwards, by degrees, partly through plunder, partly through neglect, the whole house has tumbled to pieces, peristyle included: and indeed by this time hardly anything of it remains but the ground on which it stood. If you, sir, would either make a present of this ground to the state, or order it to be sold, the act would be received as a great boon, on account of the eligibility of the site. For my part, if you will allow me, I design to place the baths where the open court was, and to enclose the place where the buildings were with a vestibule and colonnades to be dedicated to you, the benefactor to whom will be owing this handsome construction, worthy of your name. I have forwarded you a copy, though it is an imperfect one, of the will. From this you will see that Polyænus left many things for the adornment of this same house, which have disappeared with the house itself. However, I will make as diligent inquiry as possible for them.
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71. TRAIANUS PLINIO
Possumus apud Prusenses area ista cum domo collapsa, quam vacare scribis, ad exstructionem balinei uti. Illud tamen parum expressisti, an aedes in peristylio Claudio facta esset. Nam, si facta est, licet collapsa sit, religio eius occupavit solum .
71 (76.) — TRAJAN TO PLINY.
The inhabitants of Prusa are permitted to use the courtyard with the ruined house, which you tell me is vacant, for the construction of their baths. There is one thing, however, which you have not made sufficiently clear: whether the temple to Claudius was erected in the peristyle. For if it was erected, then, although it may have fallen down, the ground on which it stood is sacred.
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72. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
Postulantibus quibusdam, ut de agnoscendis liberis restituendisque natalibus et secundum epistulam Domitiani scriptam Minicio Rufo et secundum exempla proconsulum ipse cognoscerem, respexi ad senatus consultum pertinens ad eadem genera causarum, quod de iis tantum provinciis loquitur, quibus proconsules praesunt; ideoque rem integram distuli, dum
72 (77.) — TO TRAJAN.
Having been applied to by certain parties to take personal cognisance of claims of freedom and the restoration of birthrights, in accordance with the rescript of Domitian written to Minucius Rufus, and the precedents set by proconsuls, I referred to the acts of the Senate pertaining to this kind of cause. It speaks of those provinces only which are governed by proconsuls. Consequently I have deferred the matter as it stands till you, sir, shall have advised what course you would have me follow.
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73. TRAIANUS PLINIO
Si mihi senatus consultum miseris quod haesitationem tibi fecit, aestimabo an debeas cognoscere de agnoscendis liberis et natalibus veris restituendis.
73 (73.) — TRAJAN TO PLINY.
When you have sent me the act of the Senate which has caused you to hesitate, I shall judge whether you ought to take cognisance of claims of freedom and the restoration of birthrights.
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74. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Appuleius, domine, miles qui est in statione Nicomedensi, scripsit mihi quendam nomine Callidromum, cum detineretur a Maximo et Dionysio pistoribus, quibus operas suas locaverat, confugisse ad tuam statuam perductumque ad magistratus indicasse, servisse aliquando Laberio Maximo, captumque a Susago in Moesia et a Decibalo muneri missum Pacoro Parthiae regi, pluribusque annis in ministerio eius fuisse, deinde fugisse, atque ita in Nicomediam pervenisse. 2 Quem ego perductum ad me, cum eadem narrasset, mittendum ad te putavi; quod paulo tardius feci, dum requiro gemmam, quam sibi habentem imaginem Pacori et quibus ornatus fuisset subtractam indicabat. 3 Volui enim hanc quoque, si inveniri potuisset, simul mittere, sicut glebulam misi, quam se ex Parthico metallo attulisse dicebat. Signata est anulos meo, cuius est aposphragisma quadriga.
74 (16.) — TO TRAJAN.
Appuleius, sir, an officer quartered at Nicomedia, has written to me of a certain person named Callidromus, who having been detained by Maximus and Dionysius, two bakers, in whose service he had engaged himself, fled for refuge to your statue. Being brought before the magistrates, he declared that he had formerly been in the service of Laberius Maximus, that he was made prisoner by Susagus in Mœsia, and sent by Decebalus as a present to Pacorus, the king of Parthia. In his service he remained for a number of years, and subsequently made his escape, and so came to Nicomedia. I had him brought before me, and, on his repeating the same story, have thought it right to send him to you. This I have delayed doing for a short time, while I searched for a gem which he declared had been stolen from him, and which contained the portrait of Pacorus in his insignia. For I wished to send this to you at the same time, if it could have been found, as I have sent a nugget which he says he brought from a mine in Parthia. It is sealed up with my ring, the device of which is a chariot with four horses.
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75. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Iulius, domine, Largus ex Ponto nondum mihi visus ac ne auditus quidem - scilicet iudicio tuo credidit - dispensationem quandam mihi erga te pietatis suae ministeriumque mandavit. 2 Rogavit enim testamento, ut hereditatem suam adirem cerneremque, ac deinde praeceptis quinquaginta milibus nummum reliquum omne Heracleotarum et Tianorum civitatibus redderem, ita ut esset arbitrii mei utrum opera facienda, quae honori tuo consecrarentur, putarem an instituendos quinquennales agonas, qui Traiani appellarentur. Quod in notitiam tuam perferendum existimavi ob hoc maxime, ut dispiceres quid eligere debeam.
75 (79.) — TO TRAJAN.
Julius Largus of Pontus, sir, whom I had never seen or even heard of — he must, to be sure, have confided in your judgment — has made me, as it were, the steward and minister of his affection towards you. For he has requested me in his will to enter upon his estate, and after taking for myself a sum of fifty thousand sesterces to bestow the whole of the residue on the cities of Heraclea and Tios; with the proviso that it should be at my option to decide whether buildings should be erected, to be consecrated in honour of you, or quinquennial games should be instituted, to be called the games of Trajan. I have thought it right to bring this to your knowledge, chiefly that you might consider what choice I ought to make.
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76. TRAIANUS PLINIO
Iulius Largus fidem tuam quasi te bene nosset elegit. Quid ergo potissimum ad perpetuitatem memoriae eius faciat, secundum cuiusque loci condicionem ipse dis
pice et quod optimum existimaveris, id sequere.
76 (80.) — TRAJAN TO PLINY.
Julius Largus has selected you, for your good faith, as though he had known you well. You must yourself, then, consider what may best serve for perpetuating his memory, in accordance with the conditions of each locality: and what you shall deem most suitable, that do.
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77. C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI
1 Providentissime, domine, fecisti, quod praecepisti Calpurnio Macro clarissimo viro, ut legionarium centurionem Byzantium mitteret. 2 Dispice an etiam Iuliopolitanis simili ratione consulendum putes, quorum civitas, cum sit perexigua, onera maxima sustinet tantoque graviores iniurias quanto est infirmior patitur. 3 Quidquid autem Iuliopolitanis praestiteris, id etiam toti provinciae proderit. Sunt enim in capite Bithyniae, plurimisque per eam commeantibus transitum praebent.
77 (81.) — TO TRAJAN.
You have acted most providently, sir, in ordering that distinguished man Calpurnius Macer to send a legionary centurion to Byzantium. Consider whether you are of opinion that a similar privilege might be conferred on the inhabitants of Juliopolis. Their city, being but a very small one, has very great burdens to bear: and is exposed to oppressions which are all the heavier in proportion to its weakness. Moreover, whatever you accord to the people of Juliopolis will be of service to the whole province. For they are at the entrance of Bithynia, and give passage to most of those who resort to it.
Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Younger (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics) Page 134