Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

Epictetus and the Imperial Court 113

around,kissmen’shands,rotawayatothermen’sdoors...sendpresentsto
manyanddailyxenia[guest-gifts]tosome.Andwhatistheresult?Twelve
bundlesofrods,sittingthreeorfourtimesonthetribunal,givinggamesin
theCircus,anddistributingmealsinlittlebaskets’’—sportulae,thatis.^61 Epic-
tetus’pictureformsanadmirablecomplementtowhatweknowfromPliny,
especiallyEp.VI,19,aboutsenatorialcanvassing.
ElsewhereEpictetusexpatiatesontheworthlessnessofwhattheemperor
hastogive,ortorefuse.Letthechamberlainsbaryouaccesstotheemperor;
ifyoudonotcareaboutentering,youarenotreallyexcluded.Amanisgiven
a province or a procuratorship—can he be given the wisdom to exercise
it?Wethengetacomparisonofthedistributionofprovinces,praetorships,
andconsulshipswiththecustomofscatteringfigsandnutsforchildrento
fightover.^62
Thesearemereabstractexamples.MoreinterestingisEpictetus’dialogue
with,or homily to, Maximus the commissioner (corrector).^63 First Epictetus
demonstratesthatMaximusdoesnotreallyfollowhispretendedEpicurean
principles. If he reallyconsults only his pleasure, he can rob the Greeks as
hewishes;hehaspowerfulfriendsinRome,andtheGreeksaretoofeeble
toaccusehimanyway.^64 Thenthereisafragmentofdialogue.‘‘Whatneed
haveyouofphilosophicaldoctrines?’’‘‘ButIamjudgeovertheGreeks.’’‘‘Do
you know how to judge? What caused you to know that?’’ ‘‘Caesar wrote
codicilli(a letterof appointment) for me.’’ ‘‘But howdid you come to be a
judge?Whosehanddidyoukiss—Symphorus’orNumenius’?[evidentlyim-
perialfreedmen,whetherrealornotionalisnotclear].^65 Beforewhosebed-
roomdoordidyousleep?Towhomdidyousendpresents?Afterall,doyou
notseethattheofficeofjudgeisworthnomorethanNumeniusis?’’^66 One
maycontrastPliny’sreferencetothesameoffice:‘‘Youbringwithyouthe
excellentreputationyouwonduringyourquaestorship...youbringthe
emperor’srecommendation[testimonium]andexperienceastribune,praetor,
andasholderofyourpresentmission[legatio],grantedasaprize.’’^67

61. 4,10,20–21.Onsenatorialambition,cf.1,25,26–27;4,1,55and173.


62. 4,7,19–24.TherearereferencestotheterrorsofaudiencewithCaesarin1,30,7
    and4,7,1.


63. 3,7.Theviewof Hartmann(n.22),261,thatthedialogueisafictionnarratedby
    Epictetusandrelatingtoanincidentsomeyearsback,involvesbelievingthatArrian’sintro-
    ductiontoitisstraightforwardlyfalse.Thereisnobasisforsuchabelief.
    64.3,7,13.


64. ThoughILS1684revealsafreedmanofTrajan,M.UlpiusSymphorus.


65. 3,7,29–31.
    67.Ep.8,24,8.