30 The Imperial Government
reinsofthestate[res publica]whichyouhadtakenup.Ipraytherefore
thatforyou,andthroughyouforthehumanrace,allthingsmayturn
outprosperous,thatisworthyofyourera[saeculum].Inbothmypri-
vateandmypubliccapacity,Iwishyou,bestofemperors,tobebrave
andconfident.Howmanyindividualsenjoyedastatuswhichrequiredthemtosendcompa-
rableletterstothedistantEmperor,wedonotknow.Noanswerwasrequired
inthiscase.Butitisquiteclearthatitwasnormalforprovincialcities,or
atleastGreekones,tosendembassiesofcongratulationtoanewemperor,
andveryoftentoaskatthesametimefortheconfirmationofexistingprivi-
leges, or to raise controversial matters.^20 Theevidenceisofcourseerratic
and subject to chance. But we have two clearexamples of embassies from
GreekcitiestowhichTrajansentreplieswhilehewasconsulforthesecond
timeandwasholdingthetribunicianpower(tribunicia potestas)forthesec-
ondtime.BoththereforedatetobeforeDecember98.Thetwoembassiesof
thisyearforwhichwehavedocumentaryevidencethereforemadethejour-
ney,theonefromDelphiandtheotherfromAlexandria,eithertoGermania
ortoPannonia(or,ofcourse,theymayhavecaughtupwiththeEmperor
on his journey between the two). Both of them involved the Emperor in
composingrepliestothecityconcerned,andalsoinsendingletterstothe
relevantgovernors.InthecaseofDelphi,Trajanwritesthathehasconfirmed
therightsandtheautonomy(autonomia)grantedbypreviousemperors,and
recordsthathehaswritten(orsentorders)tohisfriend(amicus),theproconsul
(governorofapublicprovince)HerenniusSaturninus,andtotheprocurator
(financial officer).^21 In the case of the Alexandrians, he also confirms their
privilegesandsaysthathehasrecommendedthembothtohimselfandto
theprefectof Egypt,andhisfriend(amicus),PompeiusPlanta.^22 Thesetwo
embassies,accidentallyrecorded,outofthehundredswhichmusthavemade
the journey, therefore called between them for five imperial letters in re-
sponse.Theletterstocitieswerebroughtbackbytheembassies;thosesent
toofficialswerepresumablycarriedbymessengers.
We can certainly put in the same category the embassy from Prusa ad
OlympumwhichDioofPrusadiscussesinhisOration40,deliveredbeforehis
fellowcitizens(thatis,inthepopularassembly),‘‘OnConcordwiththeApa-
means.’’ThisembassytoohadresultedinaletterfromtheEmperor,which
- SeeF.Millar,TheEmperorintheRomanWorld(31bc–ad337)^2 (London,1992),410–20.
21.Fouilles de DelphesIII.4(Paris,1970),no.287;J.H.Oliver,Greek Constitutions of Early
RomanEmperorsfromInscriptionsandPapyri(Philadelphia,1989),no.44.
22.P. Oxy.,no.3022;Oliver,no.46.