The Augustan Revolution
proclamationquotedbyAppian,inwhichtheTriumvirsannouncedthepro-
scriptions:asgiven,itbeginswiththeconventionalterminologyofanedict:
‘‘theysay.’’^56
However,itwasaninevitableproductofthesituationthatembassies,peti-
tioners,andperhapsordinarylitigantsshouldaddressthemselvesdirectlyto
theTriumvirs,ortooneortwoofthem,andtherebytendtoisolatethem
fromtheenvironmentofRepublicaninstitutions,andtocreateamonarchi-
calsituationinwhichdecisionsweremadebyindividualpronouncement.
Wehavealreadyseenanumberofinstancesofembassiestooneorotherof
them,andtheliterarysourcesoffermore.^57 Individualpetitionerstookthe
samecourse.Perhapsthebestillustrationoftheworkingofgovernmentin
theperiodisprovidedbytheso-calledLaudatioTuriae.^58 Thehusbandofthe
unnamedmatronrecordsthathewasrestoredfromexile‘‘bythefavourand
judgementoftheabsentCaesarAugustus’’(‘‘beneficioeti[ud]icioapsentis
CaesarisAugusti’’)(thedocumentwasinscribedafter..),butthatinhis
absence actual permission for his return had to be sought from Lepidus—
‘‘when seeking my restitution, you petitioned the then present colleague,
Lepidus,andlayonthegroundathisfeet.’’Inthefaceofabuseandphysical
assaultthematron(apparently)managedtoquoteOctavian’sedictofresti-
tution. Similarly, another priceless and undervalued contemporary source,
CorneliusNepos,intheLifeofAtticus,recordsthatAtticus’daughterwasmar-
riedtoAgrippa,withAntoniusactingasmediator‘‘althoughhemighthave
increasedhispossessionsthroughhisinfluence,sofarwashe[Atticus]from
alustformoneythatheonlyusedthatinfluenceinbeggingfortheremoval
of hisfriends’dangersorinconveniences’’(,).Againstthisbackground
thereissurelynodifficultyinacceptingthatVirgilintheFirst Eclogue(–)
isreferringtoasuccessfulpetitiontoOctavian:
Here,Meliboeus,Iamthatyouthforwhomouraltarssmoketwicesix
daysandyears.Herehewasthefirsttogivemypleaananswer(‘‘hic
mihiresponsumprimusdeditillepetenti’’):‘‘Feed,swains,youroxen
asofold;rearyourbulls.’’. Appian,BC,–/–.Itisnotclearwhatwastheformofthepronouncement
quotedin,/,bywhichMessalawasremovedfromthelistoftheproscribed.Butthe
term‘‘edictofproscription,’’applyingtoanindividual,isattestedinSeneca,De clementia,
,.
. Plut.,Ant.;Jos.,Ant.,,();Appian,BC,/;,/.
.CILVI,ILS:M.Durry,Eloge funèbre d’une matrone romaine(éloge dite de
Turia)(),II,lines–.