magnanimity of your spirit, nothing, I am persuaded, can be more
suitable to both than to point out to you such works as are worthy of
your glorious and immortal name, as being no less useful than
magnificent. Bordering upon the territories of the city of Nicomedia is
a most extensive lake; over which marbles, fruits, woods, and all kinds
of materials, the commodities of the country, are brought over in boats
up to the high-road, at little trouble and expense, but from thence are
conveyed in carriages to the sea-side, at a much greater charge and with
great labour. To remedy this inconvenience, many hands will be in
request; but upon such an occasion they cannot be wanting: for the
country, and particularly the city, is exceedingly populous; and one may
assuredly hope that every person will readily engage in a work which
will be of universal benefit. It only remains then to send hither, if
you shall think proper, a surveyor or an architect, in order to examine
whether the lake lies above the level of the sea; the engineers of this
province being of opinion that the former is higher by forty
cubits,[1044] I find there is in the neighbourhood of this place a large
canal, which was cut by a king of this country; but as it is left
unfinished, it is uncertain whether it was for the purpose of draining
the adjacent fields, or making a communication between the lake and the
river. It is equally doubtful too whether the death of the king, or the
despair of being able to accomplish the design, prevented the completion
of it. If this was the reason, I am so much the more eager and warmly
desirous, for the sake of your illustrious character (and I hope you
will pardon me the ambition), that you may have the glory of executing
what kings could only attempt.
LI -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
THERE is something in the scheme you propose of opening a communication
between the lake and the sea, which may, perhaps, tempt me to consent.
But you must first carefully examine the situation of this body of
water, what quantity it contains, and from whence it is supplied; lest,
by giving it an opening into the sea, it should be totally drained. You
may apply to Calpurnius Macer for an engineer, and I will also send you
from hence some one skilled in works of this nature.
LII -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
UPON examining into the public expenses of the city of Byzantium, which,
I find, are extremely great, I was informed, Sir, that the appointments
of the ambassador whom they send yearly to you with their homage, and
the decree which passes in the senate upon that occasion, amount to
twelve thousand sesterces.[1045] But knowing the generous maxims of your
government, I thought proper to send the decree without the ambassador,
that, at the same time they discharged their public duty to you, their
expense incurred in the manner of paying it might be lightened. This
city is likewise taxed with the sum of three thousand sesterces[1046]
towards defraying the expense of an envoy, whom they annually send to
compliment the governor of Moesia: this expense I have also directed to
be spared. I beg, Sir, you would deign either to confirm my judgment or
correct my error in these points, by acquainting me with your
sentiments.
LIII -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
I ENTIRELY approve, my dearest Secundus, of your having excused the
Byzantines that expense of twelve thousand sesterces in sending an
ambassador to me. I shall esteem their duty as sufficiently paid, though
I only receive the act of their senate through your hands. The governor
of Moesia must likewise excuse them if they compliment him at a less
expense.
LIV -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
I BEG, Sir, you would settle a doubt I have concerning your
diplomas;[1047] whether you think proper that those diplomas the dates
of which are expired shall continue in force, and for how long? For I am
apprehensive I may, through ignorance, either confirm such of these
instruments as are illegal or prevent the effect of those which are
necessary.
LV -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
THE diplomas whose dates are expired must by no means be made use of.
For which reason it is an inviolable rule with me to send new
instruments of this kind into all the provinces before they are
immediately wanted.
LVI -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
UPON intimating, Sir, my intention to the city of Apamea,[1048] of
examining into the state of their public dues, their revenue and
expenses, they told me they were all extremely willing I should inspect
their accounts, but that no proconsul had ever yet looked them over, as
they had a privilege (and that of a very ancient date) of administering
the affairs of their corporation in the manner they thought proper. I
required them to draw up a memorial of what they then asserted, which I
transmit to you precisely as I received it; though I am sensible it
contains several things foreign to the question. I beg you will deign to
instruct me as to how I am to act in this affair, for I should be
extremely sorry either to exceed or fall short of the duties of my
commission.
LVII -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
THE memorial of the Apanieans annexed to your letter has saved me the
necessity of considering the reasons they suggest why the former
proconsuls forbore to inspect their accounts, since they are willing to
submit them to your examination. Their honest compliance deserves to be
rewarded; and they may be assured the enquiry you are to make in
pursuance of my orders shall be with a full reserve to their privileges.
LVIII -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
THE Nicomedians, Sir, before my arrival in this province, had begun to
build a new forum adjoining their former, in a corner of which stands an
ancient temple dedicated to the mother of the gods.[1049] This fabric
must either be repaired or removed, and for this reason chiefly, because
it is a much lower building than that very lofty one which is now in
process of erection. Upon enquiry whether this temple had been
consecrated, I was informed that their ceremonies of dedication differ
from ours. You will be pleased therefore, Sir, to consider whether a
temple which has not been consecrated according to our rites may be
removed,[1040b] consistently with the reverence due to religion: for, if
there should be no objection from that quarter, the removal in every
other respect would be extremely convenient.
LIX -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
You may without scruple, my dearest Secundus, if the situation requires
it, remove the temple of the mother of the gods, from the place where it
now stands, to any other spot more convenient. You need be under no
difficulty with respect to the act of dedication; for the ground of a
foreign city [1041b] is not capable of receiving that kind of
consecration which is sanctified by our laws.
LX -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
WE have celebrated, Sir (with those sentiments of joy your virtues so
justly merit), the day of your accession to the empire, which was also
its preservation, imploring the gods to preserve you in health and
prosperity; for upon your welfare the security and repose of the world
depends. I renewed at the same time the oath of allegiance at the head
of the army, which repeated it after me in the usual form, the people of
the province zealously concurring in the same oath.
LXI -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
YOUR letter, my dearest Secundus, was extremely acceptable, as it
informed me of the zeal and affection with which you, together with the
army and the provincials, solemnised the day of my accession to the
empire.
LXII -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
THE debts which we are owing to the public are, by the prudence, Sir, of
your counsels, and the care of my administration, either actually paid
in or now being collected: but I am afraid the money must lie
unemployed. For as on one side there are few or no opportunities of
purchasing land, so, on the other, one cannot meet with any person who
is willing to borrow of the public [1042b] (especially at 12 per cent,
interest) when they can raise money upon the same terms from private
sources. You will consider then, Sir, whether it may not be advisable,
in order to invite responsible persons to take this money, to lower the
interest; or if that scheme should not succeed, to place it in the hands
of the decurii, upon their giving sufficient security to the public. And
though they should not be willing to receive it, yet as the rate of
interest will be diminished, the hardship will be so much the less.
LXIII -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
I AGREE with you, my dear Pliny, that there seems to be no other method
of facilitating the placing out of the public money than by lowering the
interest; the measure of which you will determine according to the
number of the borrowers. But to compel persons to receive it who are not
disposed to do so, when possibly they themselves may have no opportunity
of employing it, is by no means consistent with the justice of my
government.
LXIV -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
I RETURN you my warmest acknowledgments, Sir, that, among the many
important occupations in which you are engaged you have condescended to
be my guide on those points on which I have consulted you: a favour
which I must now again beseech you to grant me. A certain person
presented himself with a complaint that his adversaries, who had been
banished for three years by the illustrious Servilius Calvus, still
remained in the province: they, on the contrary, affirmed that Calvus
had revoked their sentence, and produced his edict to that effect. I
thought it necessary therefore to refer the whole affair to you. For as
I have your express orders not to restore any person who has been
sentenced to banishment either by myself or others so I have no
directions with respect to those who, having been banished by some of my
predecessors in this government, have by them also been restored. It is
necessary for me, therefore, to beg you would inform me, Sir, how I am
to act with regard to the above- mentioned persons, as well as others,
who, after having been condemned to perpetual banishment, have been
found in the province without permission to return; for cases of that
nature have likewise fallen under my cognisance. A person was brought
before me who had been sentenced to perpetual exile by the proconsul
Julius Bassus, but knowing that the acts of Bassus, during his
administration, had been rescinded, and that the senate had granted
leave to all those who had fallen under his condemnation of appealing
from his decision at any time within the space of two years, I enquired
of this man whether he had, accordingly, stated his case to the
proconsul. He replied he had not. I beg then you would inform me whether
you would have him sent back into exile or whether you think some more
severe and what kind of punishment should be inflicted upon him, and
such others who may hereafter be found under the same circumstances. I
have annexed to my letter the decree of Calvus, and the edict by which
the persons above-mentioned were restored, as also the decree of Bassus.
LXV -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
I WILL let you know my determination concerning those exiles which were
banished for three years by the proconsul P. Servilius Calvus, and soon
afterwards restored to the province by his edict, when I shall have
informed myself from him of the reasons of this proceeding. With respect
to that person who was sentenced to perpetual banishment by Julius
Bassus, yet continued to remain in the province, without making his
appeal if he thought himself aggrieved (though he had two years given
him for that purpose), I would have sent in chains to my praetorian
prefects: [1043b] for, only to remand him back to a punishment which he
has contumaciously eluded will by no means be a sufficient punishment.
LXVI -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
WHEN I cited the judges, Sir, to attend me at a sessions [1044b] which I
was going to hold, Flavius Archippus claimed the privilege of being
excused as exercising the profession of a philosopher. [1045b] It was
alleged by some who were present that he ought not only to be excused
from that office, but even struck out of the rolls of judges, and
remanded back to the punishment from which he had escaped, by breaking
his chains. At the same time a sentence of the proconsul Velius Paullus
was read, by which it appeared that Archippus had been condemned to the
mines for forgery. He had nothing to produce in proof of this sentence
having ever been reversed. He alleged, however, in favour of his
restitution, a petition which he presented to Domitian, together with a
letter from that prince, and a decree of the Prusensians in his honour.
To these he subjoined a letter which he had received from you; as also
an edict and a letter of your august father confirming the grants which
had been made to him by Domitian. For these reasons, notwithstandng
crimes of so atrocious a nature were laid to his charge, I did not think
proper to determine anything concerning him, without first consulting
with you, as it is an affair which seems to merit your particular
decision. I have transmitted to you, with this letter, the several
allegations on both sides.
DOMITIAN'S LETTER TO TERENTIUS MAXIMUS
"Flavius Archippus the philosopher has prevailed with me to give an
order that six hundred thousand sesterces [1046b] be laid out in the
purchase of an estate for the support of him and his family, in the
neighbourhood of Prusias, [1047b] his native country. Let this be
accordingly done; and place that sum to the account of my benefactions."
FROM THE SAME TO L. APPIUS MAXIMUS
"I recommend, my dear Maximus, to your protection that worthy
philosopher Archippus; a person whose moral conduct is agreeable to the
principles of the philosophy he professes; and I would have you pay
entire regard to whatever he shall reasonably request."
THE EDICT OF THE EMPEROR NERVA
"There are some points no doubt, Quirites, concerning which the happy
tenour of my government is a sufficient indication of my sentiments; and
a good prince need not give an express declaration in matters wherein
his intention cannot but be clearly understood. Every citizen in the
empire will bear me witness that I gave up my private repose to the
security of the public, and in order that I might have the pleasure of
dispensing new bounties of my own, as also of confirming those which had
been granted by predecessors. But lest the memory of him [1048b] who
conferred these grants, or the diffidence of those who received them,
should occasion any interruption to the public joy, I thought it as
necessary as it is agreeable to me to obviate these suspicions by
assuring them of my indulgence. I do not wish any man who has obtained a
private or a public privilege from one of the former emperors to imagine
he is to be deprived of such a privilege, merely that he may owe the
restoration of it to me; nor need any who have received the
gratifications of imperial favour petition me to have them confirmed.
Rather let them leave me at leisure for conferring new grants, under the
assurance that I am only to be solicited for those bounties which have
not already been obtained, and which the happier fortune of the empire
has put it in my power to bestow."
FROM THE SAME TO TULLIUS JUSTUS
"Since I have publicly decreed that all acts begun and accomplished in
former reigns should be confirmed, the letters of Domitian must remain
valid."
LXVII -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
FLAVIUS ARCHIPPUS has conjured me, by all my vows for your prosperity,
and by your immortal glory, that I would transmit to you the memorial
which he presented to me. I could not refuse a request couched in such
terms; however, I acquainted the prosecutrix with this my intention,
from whom I have also received a memorial on her part. I have annexed
them both to this letter; that by hearing, as it were, each party, you
may the better be enabled to decide.
LX VIII -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
IT is possible that Domitian might have been ignorant of the
circumstances in which Archippus was when he wrote the letter so much to
that philosopher's credit. However, it is more agreeable to my
disposition to suppose that prince designed he should be restored to his
former situation; especially since he so often had the honour of a
statue decreed to him by those who could not be ignorant of the sentence
pronounced against him by the proconsul Paullus. But I do not mean to
intimate, my dear Pliny, that if any new charge should be brought
against him, you should be the less disposed to hear his accusers. I
have examined the memorial of his prosecutrix, Furia Prima, as well as
that of Archippus himself, which you sent with your last letter.
LXIX -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
THE apprehensions you express, Sir, that the lake will be in danger of
being entirely drained if a communication should be opened between that
and the sea, by means of the river, are agreeable to that prudence and
forethought you so eminently possess; but I think I have found a method
to obviate that inconvenience. A channel may be cut from the lake up to
the river so as not quite to join them, leaving just a narrow strip of
land between, preserving the lake; by this means it will not only be
kept quite separate from the river, but all the same purposes will be
answered as if they were united: for it will be extremely easy to convey
over that little intervening ridge whatever goods shall be brought down
by the canal. This is a scheme which may be pursued, if it should be
found necessary; but I hope there will be no occasion to have recourse
to it. For, in the first place, the lake itself is pretty deep; and in
the next, by damming up the river which runs from it on the opposite
side and turning its course as we shall find expedient, the same
quantity of water may be retained. Besides, there are several brooks
near the place where it is proposed the channel shall be cut which, if
skilfully collected, will supply the lake with water in proportion to
what it shall discharge. But if you should rather approve of the
channel's being extended farther and cut narrower, and so conveyed
directly into the sea, without running into the river, the reflux of the
tide will return whatever it receives from the lake. After all, if the
nature of the place should not admit of any of these schemes, the course
of the water may be checked by sluices. These, however, and many other
particulars, will be more skilfully examined into by the engineer, whom,
indeed, Sir, you ought to send, according to your promise, for it is an
enterprise well worthy of your attention and magnificence. In the
meanwhile, I have written to the illustrious Calpurnius Macer, in
pursuance of your orders, to send me the most skilful engineer to be
had.
LXX -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
IT is evident, my dearest Secundus, that neither your prudence nor your
care has been wanting in this affair of the lake, since, in order to
render it of more general benefit, you have provided so many expedients
against the danger of its being drained. I leave it to your own choice
to pursue whichever of the schemes shall be thought most proper.
Calpurnius Macer will furnish you, no doubt, with an engineer, as
artificers of that kind are not wanting in his province.
LXXI -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
A VERY considerable question, Sir, in which the whole province is
interested, has been lately started, concerning the state [1049b] and
maintenance of deserted children.[1050] I have examined the
constitutions of former princes upon this head, but not finding anything
in them relating, either in general or particular, to the Bithynians, I
thought it necessary to apply to you for your directions: for in a point
which seems to require the special interposition of your authority, I
could not content myself with following precedents. An edict of the
emperor Augustus (as pretended) was read to me, concerning one Annia; as
also a letter from Vespasian to the Lacedaemonians, and another from
Titus to the same, with one likewise from him to the Achaeans, also some
letters from Domitian, directed to the proconsuls Avidius Nigrinus and
Armenius Brocchus, together with one from that prince to the
Lacedaemonians: but I have not transmitted them to you, as they were not
correct (and some of them too of doubtful authenticity), and also
because I imagine the true copies are preserved in your archives.
LXXII TRAJAN TO PLINY
THE question concerning children who were exposed by their parents, and
afterwards preserved by others, and educated in a state of servitude,
though born free, has been frequently discussed; but I do not find in
the constitutions of the princes my predecessors any general regulation
upon this head, extending to all the provinces. There are, indeed, some
rescripts of Domitian to Avidius Nigrinus and Armenhis Brocchus, which
ought to be observed; but Bithynia is not comprehended in the provinces
therein mentioned. I am of opinion therefore that the claims of those
who assert their right of freedom upon this footing should be allowed;
without obliging them to purchase their liberty by repaying the money
advanced for their maintenance.[1051]
LXXIII -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
HAVING been petitioned by some persons to grant them the liberty
(agreeably to the practice of former proconsuls) of removing the relics
of their deceased relations, upon the suggestion that either their
monuments were decayed by age or ruined by the inundations of the river,
or for other reasons of the same kind, I thought proper, Sir, knowing
that in cases of this nature it is usual at Rome to apply to the college
of priests, to consult you, who are the sovereign of that sacred order,
as to how you would have me act in this case.
LXX IV -- TRAJAN TO PLINY
IT will be a hardship upon the provincials to oblige them to address
themselves to the college of priests whenever they may have just reasons
for removing the ashes of their ancestors. In this case, therefore, it
will be better you should follow the example of the governors your
predecessors, and grant or deny them this liberty as you shall see
reasonable.
LXXV -- To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN
I HAVE enquired, Sir, at Prusa, for a proper place on which to erect the
bath you were pleased to allow that city to build, and I have found one
to my satisfaction. It is upon the site where formerly, I am told, stood
a very beautiful mansion, but which is now entirely fallen into ruins.
By fixing upon that spot, we shall gain the advantage of ornamenting the
city in a part which at present is exceedingly deformed, and enlarging
it at the same time without removing any of the buildings; only
restoring one which is fallen to decay. There are some circumstances
attending this structure of which it is proper I should inform you.
Claudius Polyaenus bequeathed it to the emperor Claudius Cæsar, with
directions that a temple should be erected to that prince in a
colonnade-court, and that the remainder of the house should be let in
apartments. The city received the rents for a considerable time; but
partly by its having been plundered, and partly by its being neglected,
the whole house, colonnade-court, and all, is entirely gone to ruin, and
there is now scarcely anything remaining of it but the ground upon which
it stood. If you shall think proper, Sir, either to give or sell this
spot of ground to the city, as it lies so conveniently for their
purpose, they will receive it as a most particular favour. I intend,
with your permission, to place the bath in the vacant area, and to
extend a range of porticoes with seats in that part where the former
edifice stood. This new erection I purpose dedicating to you, by whose
bounty it will rise with all the elegance and magnificence worthy of
your glorious name. I have sent you a copy of the will, by which, though
it is inaccurate, you will see that Polyaenus left several articles of
ornament for the embellishment of this house; but these also are lost
with all the rest: I will, however, make the strictest enquiry after
them that I am able.
LXXVI -- TRAJAN TO PLINY