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Cf. Suetonius, Dom. 13. and Martial V. 8.1, VII. 34. 8, etc.
Domitian was addressed as dominus et deus noster. The title
dominus was retained by the emperors, but without the
suggestion of tyranny: it is always used by Pliny in addressing
Trajan, except in Epp. X. 1, 4 and 14.
2
Domitian: cf. Suetonius, Dom. 18. 1.
3
Nero. Cf. Tac. Ann. XIV. 15 and Suet. Nero 20.
4
Cf. 88. 4 and 7: Ep. II. 13. 8: III. 13. 1. Evidently Trajan
received this title unofficially before October 98 when he was
also called pater patriae. From 103 he was optimus on coins (S.
348), and from July 114 he took optimus as an agnomen in
inscriptions. Cf. Dio, LXVIII. 23. 1: S. 99101, and Durry,
Pangyrique, Appendix 1.
5
A practice which went back to the time of Augustus, and before
a.d.8 when Ovid was exiled (Ep. ex Ponto IV. 4. 35) though
nothing is known of the decree. Cf. Ep. III. 13. 1; III. 18. 1; II. 1.
5 (Verginius Rufus). The Panegyricus is greatly enlarged from
the original gratiarum actio. Cf. III. 13. 1 and note.
6
By Nerva: cf. 7-8.
7
As legate of Upper Germany (late 96). Cf. SHA Hadr. 2. 5. ff.
8
A statue to Jupiter Imperator in the temple on the Capitol had
been brought from Praeneste in 380 B.C. by T. Quinctius
Cincinnatus (Livy VI. 29. 8). This must have been destroyed in
the fire of 83 B.C., but this passage shows it had been replaced.
9
The mutiny of the praetorian guard under its commander,
Casperius Aelianus (Dio LXVIII. 3. 3); there was a real danger
of civil war like that of 69. Cf. Ep. IX. 13. 11. (Nutatio is used
metaphorically only here and in Tac. Hist. III. 49. 1, totius urbis
nutatione.)
10
Nerva was compelled to punish the murderers of Domitian
(Dio LXVIII. 3. 3).
11
Perhaps a reference to Hannibals recall to Carthage (Livy
XXX. 9).
12
But cf. Galbas speech on adopting Piso (Tac. Hist. I. 15-16), a
speech with many verbal affinities with Pan 7-8.
13
Augustus and Claudius had adopted their respective stepsons
Tiberius and Nero to please their wives, Livia and Agrippina
(Tac. Ann. I. 3, XII. 25).
14
15
32
78
marriage between uncle and niece: Suet. Claud. 26. 3; Tac. Ann.
XII. 5.)
98
The equestrian statue set up in 89 at the west end of the
Forum; cf. Statius, Silvae I. 1.
99
In 95 Domitian condemned to death Epaphroditus, who had
helped his master Nero to commit suicide (Suet. Dom. 14. 4).
For an echo of these words cf. Tac. Hist. II. 76. 7: An excidit
trucidatus Corbulo?
100
Described in Suetonius, Dom. 4.
101
Confirmed by Ep. X. 9. 2.
102
Nero gave his name to April, and that of Claudius and
Germanicus to May and June (Tac. Ann. XV. 74. 1 and XVI. 12.
2). Domitian gave his title of Germanicus to September, and
his own name to October (Suet. Dom. 13. 3).
103
D. Junius Brutus, who expelled the Tarquins in 510 B.C. had
his statue on the Capitol. M. Purius Camillus, who drove the
Gauls from Latium in the fourth century, had his in the Forum.
Cf. 13. 4.
104
Probably Pliny means the period from 28 January 98 when
Trajan succeeded Nerva to 1 January 100, when he assumed his
third consulship. He was consul for the second time on 1
January 98, first with Nerva, then with Sex. Julius Frontinus.
105
Cf. 57. 1. Trajan could have assumed a third consulship when
he became emperor in January 99.
106
Nero, in his panic over the revolt of Vindex (Suet. Nero 43).
107
Cf. 8. 3-4. Pliny speaks in exaggerated terms: Trajan had
received the titles of Caesar, Imperator and Germanicus on his
adoption, but was never joint emperor with Nerva.
108
e.g. L. Papirius Cursor, Q. Fabius Maximus, M. Claudius
Marcellus (five times); Quinctius Capitolinus (six times).
109
Marius, seven times: Caesar, five times consul.
110
e.g. L. Quinctius Cincinnatus, Q. Atilius Regulus.
111
Domitian was consul 17 times, and in 84 was nominated for
10 years, though the sequence was broken in 89 (Suetonius,
Dom. 13. 3; Dio LXVII. 4. 3).
112
Unidentified. Possibly Fabricius Veiento (Syme, JRS XX),
consul 3 in 83.
113
A Stoic doctrine. Cf. Cic. de Off. II. 35.
114
Not strictly impossible; cf. Suetonius, Aug. 26. 3.
115
Trajan was consul for the third time in 100, from January to
February with Sex. Julius Frontinus, and from March to April
with someone unidentified (possibly Vestricius Spurinna). A
candidates, nor of voting by the Senate (as in Ep. III. 20). Trajan
appears to do no more than make his wishes known (cf. 71. 7).
130
Cf. the coin legend Felicitas.
131
These are the acclamationes greeting the proposals of the
emperors. Examples are quoted at length in SHA. Alex. Sev. 6
7, M. Claud. Tac. 45.
132
The acta diurna; cf. Ep. V. 13. 8. Inscribing on bronze,
DioLX. 10. 2.; LXI. 3. 1.
133
The final summing-up at the trial of Marius Priscus (cf. Ep. II.
11).
134
It was in fact the first (that of Cornutus Tertullus, Ep. II. 11.
19-22), and Pliny must mean that the voting showed it was also
the best.
135
Cf. Ep. VIII. 14. 8. This account is one of the most Tacitean
in the speech, ending with an apt sententia. The phrase
adsentiendi necessitas was used by Tacitus in Ann. III. 22. 4 for
the senate of Tiberius.
136
Cf. 63. 2 and note. This is the renuntiatio of the suffect
consuls for 100. As Tertullus is referred to as consul designatus
at the trial of Priscus, the ceremony probably took place before
the trial.
137
Trajan held the consulate a fourth time 1-12 January 101.
Evidently at this date (September 100) he is not yet designatus.
138
Cf. Suetonius, Dom. 13. 2.
139
Cf. Ep. VI. 31, where Trajan presides over cases heard at
Centum Cellae.
140
Lake Lucrinus. Domitian had houses on the shores of both
lakes.
141
Here, as usual, Pliny belittles Domitians military activity
both in Germany and in the Suebian-Sarmatic wars. Cf. 11. 4,
14. 5, 20. 4 and notes.
142
The empress Pompeia Plotina; cf. Ep. IX. 28. 1.
143
The pontifex maximus was of course the emperor himself.
144
Ulpia Marciana.
145
Trajan had in fact accepted the title of pater patriae before the
consular elections of October 98 (57. 4), but the first inscription
recording the title Augusta (ILS 288, S. 106) can be dated
between December 104 and 105, and Plinys evidence is explicit
that it was not held in 100.
146
A reference to the precarious position of the amici principis.
147
Cf. Tacitus, Hist. IV. 7.
148
Unidentified.
149
Cf. Suetonius, Claud. 28-9, Galba 15; Pliny, Ep. VII. 29, VIII.
6. There is little evidence for Trajans attitude to the imperial
freedmen. Vitellius policy of reserving administrative posts for
knights (Tac. Hist. 1. 58) had been continued by Domitian
(Suetonius, Dom. 7. 3) and was firmly established by Hadrian
(SHA Hadr. 22. 8.). For freedmen who are procurators under
Trajan, cf. Ep. VI. 31. 8, X. 27 and 85.
150
Cf. 2. 7 and note.
151
Sulla and Pompey were given the names Felix and Magnus.
152
Since the time of L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, who as tribune in
149 B.C. introduced the Lex de pecuniis repetundis.
153
C. Laelius, a member of the Scipionic circle and the leading
figure in Ciceros De Amicitia, called Sapiens for his Stoic
inclinations; Q. Metellus (cos. 80 B.C.) called Pius for his efforts
to recall his father from exile.
154
At this time Trajan was still officially called Imperator Caesar
Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus, pontifex maximus, pater
patriae, Optimus appears after Traianus in inscriptions of 113/14.
(S. 99101.)
155
On 16 January 27 B.C.
156
Cf. 15. Evidently Trajans father is dead.
157
Cf. 14. 1 and note.
158
Cf. Ep. V. 14 and Index.
159
Cf. Ep. III. 11. 3 and VII. 27. 14: the reign of terror under
Domitian in 93.
160
The praefectura aerarii Saturni (Ep. V. 14, X. 3a) to which
Pliny and Tertullus were nominated in January 98, before
Nervas death on the 27th. In Ep. X. 3a and X. 8. 3. Pliny says
that the appointment was made jointly by Nerva and Trajan.
161
i.e. they continued in office until the end of August and
immediately entered on their consulship.
162
Cf. 60. 4 and note.
163
Trajan was born on 18 September (?) 53; Domitian was
assassinated on 18 September 96 and Nerva proclaimed emperor
the same day. (S. 148d.)
164
In the second half of October; on the dies imperii of Trajan
(cf. 8).
165
Cf. Ep. X. 52.
166
Cf. 5. 24 and notes.
167
Cf. 8. 1.
168
The acta diurna or the acta senatus; cf. 75. 1.
169
Cf. Ep. I. 23.
170