168 The Imperial Government
andEunapiusgivesahighlycolouredaccountofhissuccesswithShapurII.^37
Thesenarrativesnevershowanyspecificrolebeingperformedbythe‘‘sec-
retarial’’magistri,thoughwedofindsomeAlamannicambassadorsin364or
365beingrudelytreatedbyUrsacius,themagisterofficiorum(themasterofthe
offices).^38 Thereasonwhycourtofficialsplaysosmallapartintheaccounts
of the reception of embassies is quite simply that the emperors conducted
allsuchnegotiationsinpersonthroughpublicverbalexchangeswhichnatu-
rally lent themselves to narrative presentation.^39 This highly personal and
dramaticelementwasanessentialfeatureofimperialforeignrelations,and
itwasappropriatethatEunapius,indescribingnegotiationsbetweenJulian
andthekingoftheChamavi,madeanexplicitcomparisonwithasceneon
thestage.^40
Iftheemperorpossessedanysecretarialstaffspecificallyfortheconduct
offrontierpolicyordiplomacy,alltraceofithasdisappeared.Asregardsad-
visers whom he could consult, it was normal from the beginning forone
praetorianprefectorbothtobeinattendanceontheemperor,^41 aswillhave
beenthetribunesofanypraetoriancohortswhichwereaccompanyinghim.
Whenanemperorwasoncampaignhecouldnaturallyconsulttheconsular
orpraetorianlegatiofanylegionswhichwereinhisvicinity,ortheequestrian
commandersofauxiliaryunits.Beyondthat,inthefirstthreecenturies,ifhe
wasinRome,hewouldconsultwhicheverfriendsofsenatorialorequestrian
rankhechosetosummontohim;ifhewastravellinginItalyortheprovinces
orwasoncampaign,thechoicewasinevitablyrestrictedtothosewhomhe
hadalreadyselectedtotakewithhimashiscomites(travellingcompanions).
Thus,asregardsRome,TacitusshowsthatNeroin63,afterreceivingsome
Parthian ambassadors bringing a letter fromVologaeses, and interrogating
thecenturionwhohadaccompaniedthem,consulted‘‘amongtheprincipes
civitatis’’(theforemostpeopleinthestate)astowhetherthereshouldbepeace
or war.^42 The same procedure is implied in Juvenal’sFourth Satire,144–49,
with Domitian’samicihurrying to the Arx Albana ‘‘as if hewere about to
speakabouttheChattiorthewildSygambri,andasiffromdistantpartsof
theearthanurgentletterhadcomeonheadlongwing.’’
- Ammianus17,5,15:Ut opifex suadendi(asamasterofpersuasion);Libanius,Ep.331;
Eunapius,Vit. Soph.365(alsonotingthathighmilitaryorcivilianofficialswerenormally
sentonembassies). - Ammianus26,5,7.
- Seefurthertexttonn.100–101.
- Eunapius,Fr.12(FHGIV,pp.17–19).
41.ERW,127.
42.Ann.15,24–25.