10 The Imperial Government
urbanprefect(praefectus urbi):‘‘Tohim,however,Tiberiuswrotemuchwith
his own hand; that which he thought should not be entrusted even to his
assistants.’’^53 Then we have Nerva writing ‘‘in his own hand’’ toTrajan on
adoptinghim,andTrajanwriting‘‘inhisownhand’’totheSenateonhisac-
cession.^54 EusebiusrecordsthatConstantinewrotealetterinhisownhand
toSaporII(309–79)onthepersecutionofChristiansinPersia.^55
These are, of course, specifically exceptional cases. But there were two
typesofmissivewhich,probablyinonecaseandcertainlyintheother,em-
perors often wrote with their own hand.These arecodicilli(letters of ap-
pointment)andsubscriptiones.Wehappentohavetwotextsofcodicils,one
from Domitian to L. Laberius Maximus, the prefect of Egypt,^56 the other
from Marcus Aurelius to a procurator named Domitius Marsianus;^57 both
arecouchedinwarmandpersonalterms—as,evidently,werethecodicilliof
Tiberiustohisdrinkingcompanions,L.PisoandPomponiusFlaccus,‘‘de-
claringintheirlettersofappointmentthattheywerethemostagreeableof
friends, and at all times.’’^58 Theycertainly give the impression of personal
messages,dictatedifnotwrittenbytheemperor.SimilarlyEpictetusrepre-
sentsacorrectororcuratorcivitatium(acommissionerinchargeofcityfinances)
assaying‘‘Caesarwrotemealetterofappointment.’’^59 Suchimpressionsare
no proof; but then we have Caligula at dinnerduring a show rewarding a
senatorforthegreedwithwhichheatebysendinghimcodicils,appointing
himpraetor,^60 and,better,Suetonius’accountofhowthefreedmenarranged
appointmentsunderClaudius—‘‘substitutingfalselettersofappointment,or
even openlychanging thosewhich he had issued.’’^61 The implication, it is
clear,isthatthecodicilsemanateddirectlyfromClaudius—whatthefreed-
mendidwastoalterthedocumentsthemselvesorsubstituteothers.There
2,2.Forotherevidenceonimperialprivatecorrespondence,see,e.g.,Nepos,Att.20,1–2;
Quint.,Inst.1,6,19;MarcusAurelius,Med.I,7.
- Sen.,Ep.83,15.
54.Dio68,3,4;5,2. - Euseb.,Vit.Const.4,8,textin9–13;cf.Sozom.,EH2,15,1–5;Theodoret,EH1,24,
13–25,11.Cf.H.Dörries,Das Selbstzeugnis Kaiser Konstantins(1954),125–26. - Cavenaille,Corp. Pap. Lat.238,withbibliography;cf.Syme,Tacitus,app.7.
57.AE1962,183.Notethesubscriptionofgreetingattheend,‘‘farewell,myMarsianus,
verydeartome’’(vale mi Marsiane, karissime mihi). - Suet.,Tib.42.
- Epictetus3,7,30.Forthesetting,seeJRS55(1965):142,145,andSherwin-White,
Lettersof Pliny,477–78. - Suet.,Cal.18.
- Suet.,Div. Claud.29.