The Fiscus in the First Two Centuries 71factthatitremained(forhewritesinthepresenttense)andthatitwasthe
complexityoftheworkingrelationsofthetwofundswhichmadeitdiffi-
cultforahistorian,readinghissources,totellfromwhichmoneyhadbeen
drawnonaparticularoccasion.^172
Finally,somethingmustbesaidaboutthestatusandfunctionsofimperial
wealthandproperties.UptothedeathofNerothepropertyofoneemperor
coulddescendtohissuccessorbyinheritance.Butin68thereisabreakin
familyconnection,andthreefurtherbreaksin69.Nonetheless,wefindthat
theJulio-Claudianpropertiespassedintothehandsofthosewhoreplaced
themonthethrone—GalbacouldcallinNero’sgifts,OthoandVitelliusap-
peared to find the delights of luxurious living in the imperial palaces the
onlyconsolationofsupremepower,^173 andVespasiancouldselloffimperial
palacesinAlexandria.^174 Anotherbreakoccurredin96,butagainwefindthat
TrajancouldsellpropertiesconfiscatedbyDomitian.^175 Thusitisclearthat,
asearlyasthefirstcentury,theexistenceofavastmassofimperialproperties,
palacesandslavesexerteditsownforceonthecourseofevents,providingas
itdidasetting—andastaff—foranyonewhoseizedthethroneandmaking
theordinarylawsofinheritanceirrelevant.
Itwasstillthecase,nonetheless,thattheprivatepropertyofanyonewho
cametothethronebecameabsorbedinthefiscalpropertiesanddescended
with them to succeeding emperors.^176 But the facts of the case meant that
- 53, 22, 3–4, ‘‘Therefore I have no opinion to record as to whether a particular
emperor on a particular occasion got the money from the public funds [ek tōn dēmosiōn
chrēmatōn]orgaveithimself.Forbothcourseswerefrequentlyfollowed;andwhyshould
oneentersuchexpendituresasloansorasgiftsrespectively,whenbothpeople[dēmos]and
theemperorareconstantlyresortingtoboththeoneandtheotherindiscriminately.’’ - OthotakingoverNero’sslaves,Dio64,8,3–9,1,andholdingadinnerinthePala-
tium:Tac.Hist.1,80–81,Dio64,9,2–3.OnVitellius’enjoymentofimperialluxuries,Dio
65,2–4. - Dio65,8,4.
- Pliny,Pan.50.
- This is perhaps the explanation of the story inHA,vita Ant. Pii4, 8—his wife
scoldedhimforparsimony,andhereplied,‘‘Foolishwoman,nowthatwehavetransferred
tothepositionofemperors,wehavelostevenwhatweoncehad.’’Bycontrast,Pertinax,
comingtothethroneafterthemurderofCommodus,divestedhimselfdeliberatelyofhis
propertyandgaveittohissonanddaughter,whomhesentofftolivewiththeirgrand-
father. Dio 73, 7, 3 (311–12). See Herodian 2, 4, 9;HA,vita Pert. 13, 4. I suspect that we
haveanexampleofapropertywhichbecame,andremained,partofthepatrimonium,when
itsownercametothethrone,intheHorreaGalbae.SeePlatnerandAshby,Topographical
Dictionary,261.AnotherexampleistheFiglinaeDomitianae(‘‘Domitian’spotteries’’)—see
H.Bloch,IBollelaterizielastoriaediliziaromana(Rome,1938),336–39.