6 The Imperial Government
decree,madetheiraccusation,’’^17 hemeansjustthat.InoneoftheAlexan-
drianreportsofproceedingswefindanemperor(TrajanorHadrian)reading
aletterpresentedbyadelegation—andthensummoninghis‘‘friends.’’^18 Thus
whenGaiussaysinalettertothePanhellenes,‘‘havingreadthedecreegiven
tomebyyourambassadors...,’’^19 wemaytakeitthathemeanswhathesays.
Secondly, the role of advisers: it was in the nature of theconsiliumthat
the emperor’s advisers gave theirsententiae(opinions), and then the deci-
sionwaspronouncedindependentlybythemagistrateoremperorhimself.
Nero would have thesententiaewritten down and then retire to consider
them.^20 But even in the second and third centuries,when lawyers as such
were brought into theconsilium, emperors would follow this same proce-
dure,eveninlegalbusiness.Marcellusdescribesacognitio(trial)conductedby
MarcusAureliusinwhichhetookpart;variousopinionswereput;thenthe
Emperordismissed the court, meditated, and called them back to hear his
decision.^21 Similarly,Paulusdescribeshimselfgivinghisopinion,onacase
beforeSeverus;theEmperorconsidersitbutmakesuphisownmind.^22 Yet
iftherewereanycasesofqualifiedofficialsmakingdecisionsfortheemperor
itshouldhavebeenthelawyers.
Withthatwecancomeonestagenearerthequestionofofficialcorrespon-
denceandlookatthehandlingoflibelli—forthemomentjustlibellibrought
totheemperorbytheirauthors,notonessentonbyofficialssuchasPliny.
Libelliinthiscontextdivideintotwotypes—onescontaininginformation
againstthirdpartiesandonescontainingpetitionsorrequestsforlegalde-
cisions. Here again we find the informant or petitioner giving thelibellus
directtotheemperorhimself—aswitnesstheanecdoteofAugustussaying
to a man who proffered hislibelluswithexcessivetimidity.‘‘Youarelikea
mangivingacointoanelephant’’;^23 comparethecaseinSuetoniusofaman
giving Claudius alibellusduring thesalutatio(the morning reception),^24 or
Martial’sline‘‘whilethemultitudegivesyouplaintivelibelli,Augustus,’’and
17.Syll.^3 780AbbottandJohnson,Municipal Administration,no.36Ehrenbergand
Jones,312.
18.P. Oxy.2177;H.Musurillo,Acts of the Pagan Martyrs(1954),10,fr.2,col.ii,1,59–60.
19.IGVII2711ILS8792.
- Suet.,Nero15.
21.Dig.28,4,3praef.
22.Dig.4,4,38. - ToldwithvaryingdetailsbyQuintilian,Inst.6,3,59;Suet.,Div.Aug.53;andMacro-
bius,Sat.2,4,3. - Suet.,Div. Claud.37.