Epictetus and the Imperial Court 111master.’’^48 Thestoryisonlybroughtinasanexampleofexceptionalcour-
age—and thus illustrates perfectly the powerof freedmen in Nero’s reign.
ThesecondstoryshowsamanclingingintearstothekneesofEpaphrodi-
tusandexclaimingthathehasonlyamillionandahalfsesterceslefttohis
name.^49 ToEpictetusthisillustratestheabsurdlackofproportioninducedby
theluxuriousnessof Romanlife,ascomparedwiththemodestmannersof
Nicopolis.Perhaps,however,themanwasasenatorwhoneededEpaphrodi-
tus’helpinappealingforasubventionfromNerotomaintainthenecessary
censusof1millionor1.2millionsesterces.^50
ThethirdstoryaboutEpaphroditusseemstocomefromtheperiodwhen
hewasnolongera libellis. ‘‘Epaphroditus owned a certain cobbler whom
hesoldoffasbeingnogoodathisjob.Thenbysomechancethemanwas
bought byone of the members of Caesar’s household [Caesariani] and be-
cametheemperor’scobbler.YoushouldhaveseenhowEpaphrodituspaid
court to him—‘What is the good Felicio doing, I pray you?’ And then if
anyoneaskedus,‘WhatisEpaphroditusdoing?’hewastold,‘Heisincon-
sultation with Felicio.’’’^51 The point that the accident of proximity to the
emperormightlendafortuitousimportancetotheoccupantsofthemost
humblepostshadbeenmadeevenmoreforciblyintheprecedingpassage.
‘‘Ifonlyitwereonlythetyrantsandnottheircubicularii[chamberlains]also
[whohavetobecourted].Howisitthatamancansuddenlygainareputa-
tionforsagacitywhenCaesarputshiminchargeoftheimperiallavatory?
Howisitthatweatoncestartsaying‘Feliciospokesowiselytome’?Ifonly
themanmightbedeposedfromthelavatory,andseemafooloncemore.’’^52
Thisisgivenasatypicalinstance,notasahistoricalanecdote.Thereseems
tobenootherevidenceforthepostinquestion(whichitisimpliedwould
beheldbyoneofthechamberlains).
ThenthefriendsofCaesar—thetypeofworldlysuccessonwhichEpicte-
tuspoursmostscorn.Forinstance,herepresentsamancontemplatinghow
hecanbestensurehissafety(usingtheimageofatravellerfearingattackby
robbers). ‘‘What shall I do? I shall become a friend of Caesar.While I am
his companion no onewill injure me. But before I can become that, how
- 1,1,20.ForthejustifiableemendationofthetexttomakeLateranustheauthorof
thisremark,seetheBudéedition. - 1,26,11–12.
- Dio 54, 26, 3 gives 1 million, Suet.,Div. Aug. 41, 1.2 million. For subventions by
Nero,Suet.,Nero10;Tac.,Ann.13,34,2–3,cf.15,53,2. - 1,19,19–21.Animperialsutor(cobbler)isattestedonILS1787(a.d.13).
- 1,19,17–18.Onthepowerofmembersoftheimperialfamilia,notealso4,13,22.