Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 1 - The Roman Republic and the Augustan Revolution

The Emperor, the Senate, and the Provinces 

theinscription(VIII,–)hereferstotherecognitionbyAugustusofthe
privileges(philanthropa)ofthehymnodes(hymnsingers)whoperformedat
theprovincialsanctuaryatPergamon.^89
Finally,onemaymentiontheedictbywhichin–Nerosummoned
theinhabitantsofAchaeatotheIsthmustohearhisspeechgrantingthem
freedom.^90 Thecomparativerarityofimperialedictsaffectingspecificprov-
incesorplacesis,however,easilyexplained.TheEmperorsnormallycom-
municatedwithcitiesorprovincesbyletter,suchlettersalmostneverbeing
writtenexceptinresponsetoaninitiativefrombelow,normallyintheform
ofanembassyfromthecommunity.Someofthesewereinoriginformalor
diplomatic,liketheembassyfromIliumconsolingTiberiusonthedeathof
DrususwhichSuetoniusreveals.^91 EventhesewereactuallyheardbytheEm-
peror;TiberiusfeltthattheIlianembassywassomewhatbelatedandreplied
sarcasticallybyconsolingthemonthedeathoftheirfellowcitizen,Hector.
TheambassadorssentbythecityofSardisin..tocongratulateAugustus
andGaiusCaesaronthelatter’sassumptionofthetoga purawereinstructed
alsotospeaktoAugustusaboutmattersofinteresttoSardisandtheprovince
ofAsia.^92
If we take the Augustan period alone, we find a long series of embas-
siestoAugustusfrompublicprovinces,whichbeginsbefore,andcontinues
unaffectedafter,thedivisionoftheprovincesin..In..Octavian
wroteinreplytoanembassyfromMylasainCaria.^93 Intheshiponwhich
StrabowascrossingtheAegeantookonboardafishermanfromGyarus,who
wasgoingtorequestOctavian,thenatCorinth,foraremissionoftribute.^94
In..AugustuswrotetoChiosaletter,whichisreferredtoinaletterto
thecityfromtheproconsulofAsiathirtyormoreyearslater,inwhichhe
confirmedthefreedomofthecity.^95 Inor..thecityof Tralleswas
struckbyanearthquakeandsentanembassy,includingthepoetChaeremon
(whoseverses on the journeyare quoted by Agathias), all theway toTar-

ratherthansomethinglike‘‘legalenactment,’’andthereforeforabandoningtheviewthat
henecessarilyheldsomeofficialpositionintheprovince.ButevenifthisiscorrectIcan-
notfollowherinterpretationofthepurposeandfunctioningoftheendowment.Iamvery
gratefultoDr.R.P.Duncan-Jonesfordiscussingthiswithme.
. SeeMagie(n.),andn..
.Syll.^3 AbbottandJohnson,no.Charlesworth,Documents,Nerono..
. Suet.,Tib..
.Sardis,VII,,,.Cf.Deininger(n.),.
.Syll.^3 AbbottandJohnson,no..
. Strabo.
.Syll.^3 AbbottandJohnson,no.EhrenbergandJones,no..