Emperors, Frontiers, and Foreign Relations 167edicts.^31 Thestandardassumptionsaboutthefunctionsoftheimperialen-
tourageareclearlyexpressedbyDiointhe‘‘speechofMaecenas’’:‘‘Moreover,
asregardslegalcases,letters,anddecreesofthecities,petitionsofindividu-
als,andwhateverelseconcernstheadministrationoftheEmpire,youshould
havehelpersandassistantsfromamongtheequestrians.’’^32 Thereisnotrace
here—or elsewhere—of imperial ‘‘secretaries’’ specifically concerned with
militarymattersorforeignaffairs.Thepatternpersiststhroughtheperiod,
andbeyond.TheNotitia Dignitatum(ListofOffices)liststhefourestablished
magistri(ministers):ofthememoria,theepistolae(correspondence),thelibelli
(petitions),andtheepistolae graecae(theGreekcorrespondence).^33
Any‘‘secretarial’’functionsinrelationtomilitarymattersorforeignaf-
fairs must then have been performed by these primarily civilian officials.
Since,asweshallsee,theemperorsconductedanextensiveexchangeoflet-
ters and embassies with foreign rulers, it is natural to think first of theab
epistulis/magister epistolarum(i.e., the officials in charge of the imperial cor-
respondence),andthe(muchlessoftenattested)a legationibus(inchargeof
embassies).But,infact,thelittleevidencewhichwehavefortheirrolecon-
cernsnotthereceptionofembassiesorthepreparationof lettersatcourt,
butthedespatchofoccasional‘‘secretarial’’officialsonforeignmissions.For
instance,itwasevidentlywhilehewasonsuchamissioninabout173that
MarcusAurelius’ab epistulis Latinis(inchargeoftheLatincorrespondence),
TaruttienusPaternus,washeldandill-treatedbytheCotini,whohadprom-
ised militarycollaboration against the Marcomanni.^34 Then,attheendof
thethirdcentury,wefindSicoriusProbus,themagister memoriae,beingsent
fromNisibisbyDiocletianandGaleriusasambassadortoNarses,andmaking
a speech before him with proposals for the regulation of the Tigris fron-
tier.^35 ThedetailedaccountsinAmmianusofthereceptionbytheemperor
ofembassiesandlettersfromforeignrulers,andthedespatchofothers,show
important roles as ambassadors being entrusted to court officials (praefecti
praetorio,comites,tribuni et notarii),or high-ranking officers (magistri militum
orduces),^36 andinonecasetoaphilosopher,Eustathius.AsbothAmmianus
andLibaniusmakeclear,hewasselectedpersonallyforhisoratoricalpowers,
31.ERW,252–59.- Dio52,33,5.
33.Not. Dig., Or.19;Occ.17(minustheepistolae graecae). - Dio71,12,3.TheTabulaBanasitanaatteststhisformofhisname,seeJRS63(1973):86.
- PetrusPatricius,fr.14(FHGIV,p.189).
- Ammianus17,5and14;18,2,2(tribunus);19,11,5(twotribuniwithinterpreters);
25, 7, 7 (praetorian prefect and, probably,comes rei militaris);27,5,1(magister equitum); 5
(magistri)?;31,7,1(magister equitum).