Conceptions and Sources
verydistinctivephase,accompaniedbymajorattemptsatsystematisationof
thelaw,^49 wasalsomarkedbymuchmoreexplicitanddeliberateattemptsto
explainandjustifyimperialdecisionstothepublic.Byfarthemostsignifi-
cantproductofthisdevelopmentwasthewell-knownedictonmaximum
prices,nowknownfromalargenumberoffragmentsintheGreekEast.^50
Forourknowledgeof itstextweare(onceagain)boundtobedependent
on whether in each province the choicewas made to inscribe it on stone.
Sofar,thefragmentscomefromaquiterestrictedrangeofprovinces,inthe
Greek-speakingpartoftheempire.^51 Thisisnottheplacetoenterintoany
discussionoftheproductsandservicesforwhichtheedictlaysdownmaxi-
mumprices,oroftheperplexingproblemsofrelativemonetaryandbullion
valuesinthisperiod,alsothesubjectofanothercontemporaryedictofwhich
onefragmenthasbeenpublished.^52 Whatmaybeemphasisedhereisthevast
preambleinwhichtheemperorsexplainandjustifytheirmeasures.Aswith
the earlierdocuments mentioned, this could be considered first of all as a
specimen of the official Latin prose of the early fourth century. Secondly,
whoseproseisit?Theproblemoftheactualauthorshipofthetextsofallforms
of imperialpronouncement,fromspeechestosubscriptiones(replieswritten
underpetitionsgiveninbyindividualsorgroups),isacute(andinsoluble)in
allperiods,andismadeallthemorecomplexbytheTetrarchicsystem.What
wehaveisatanyrateapieceofextendedpropagandaandself-justification
issuedinthenameofallfouroftheAugustiandCaesares.Wecanstudyit
. See T. Honoré, ‘‘‘Imperial’ Rescripts AD –: Authorship and Authenticity,’’
JRS():onpp.–,andEmperors and Lawyers(London,;nded.,Oxford,
),chap..
. Fora full text as known to that date,with extensive commentary, see S. Lauffer,
Diokletians Preisedikt(Berlin,);notealsoM.Giacchero,Edictum Diocletiani et Collegarum
de Pretiis Rerum Venalium(Genoa,).Extensiveepigraphicworkonthetexts,especially
that from Aphrodisias, is, however, still in progress. See K.T. Erim and Joyce Reynolds,
JRS():;J.Reynolds,ZPE():(Aphrodisias);M.H.CrawfordandJ.M.
Reynolds,ZPE():;():(Aezani);AE():–(Achaea).
. Onthequestionofpublicationonstoneandtheimportanceoftheroleofthepro-
vincial governor, note M. H. Crawford and J. Reynolds, ‘‘The Publication of the Prices
Edict:ANewInscriptionfromAezani,’’JRS():.Thegeographicalpatternthere
suggestedisslightlyextendedbythepublicationofanewfragmentfromOdessusonthe
westcoastoftheBlackSea;seeG.Mihailov,Stele(Memorial to N. Kontoleon)(Athens,),
.
. K.T.Erim,J.Reynolds,andM.Crawford,‘‘Diocletian’sCurrencyReform:ANew
Inscription,’’JRS():;seeM.Crawford,‘‘Finance,CoinageandMoneyfromthe
SeveranstoConstantine,’’ANRWII.(),,onpp.–.