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

Emperors at Work 15

We might say that this pattern of evidence just reflects the interests of
oursources.Butthekeytothesituationisgivenbythefactthatthecareer
equestrianswholatercametoholdthesesecretarialpostsneverexerciseda
comparabledegreeofpersonalinfluence.Theéminences grisesofthesecond
century and after were notab epistulisora libellisbutcubicularii(chamber-
lains), like Saoterus and Cleander under Commodus.^88 In other words the
exercise of power, at least as it is reflected in our sources, is a function of
imperialfavour—extendedequallyonoccasiontodoctorsordancers—and
waschieflyattainedbylongpropinquity.Thatisshownnowherebetterthan
inPhilo’saccountofHelicon,thecubiculariusofCaligula.^89
That said, we are left with the specific task of finding evidence show-
ingtheholdersof ‘‘secretarial’’postsactuallyatwork.First,theab epistulis:
SuetoniusrecordsthatAugustuspunishedThallus,hisa manu,‘‘fordivulg-
ingthecontentsofaletter’’^90 —thatunfortunatelyleavestheactualroleof
Thallusunclear.ThenwehaveGaius,asnotedbefore,dictating(orgiving
instructionsfor)alettertoanab epistulis.Afterthat,however,wehavethe
onebitofevidenceaboutNarcissusatworkinhiscapacitiesasab epistulis;he
hadchargeofthesecretgrammataofClaudiusagainstAgrippinaandothers.
Exactlywhatthesewereisnotreallyclear—indeedtheysoundratherlike
libelliofaccusation.AtanyrateheburntthemafterthemurderofClaudius.^91
Moreilluminatingisthecaseof Beryllus,theab epistulis graecisof Nero,
‘‘entrustedwiththemanagement[taxis]oftheGreekcorrespondence.’’Some
ambassadorsfromCaesareainJudaeabribedhimtobegfromNeroaletter
invalidatingtherightsoftheJewsinthecity.BerylluswenttotheEmperor
andobtainedpermissionforthelettertobewritten.HereNerodoesnotseem
tohavewrittentheletterhimself;butequallyBeryllushadnoauthorityof
hisownandcouldonlymakearequesttoNero.^92 Inonepassagealonedowe
findsomethingapproachingaclearstatementoftheab epistulis’duties,the
wordsofStatiusaddressedtoAbascantus.^93 Theseshowhimsendingoffman-
data(instructions)—‘‘tosendfarandwideintothegreatworldthemandata
oftheEmperor,Romulus’descendant’’(magnumlatedimittereinorbem/Romu-
lei mandata ducis)—andalsoreceivingnewsofeventsand,apparently,reports
on individuals and making them known (pandere). But, unfortunately for
thequestionsdiscussedhere,Statiusconcentratesontheextentandnature

88. SeeF.Grosso,La lotta politica al tempo di Commodo(1964),esp.113–14,197–98.


89. Philo,Legatio166–77.


90. Suet.,Div. Aug.67.


91. Dio60,34,5.


92. Jos.,Ant. Jud.20,183–84.


93. Statius,Silvae5,1,86–87.