| TITLE Letter of the Imperator Claudius to the Alexandrines |
| DATE 41 CE |
| TEXT Edition of Oliver 1989, 78-80 (see also: P. Lond 6.1912). Col. I [1] Λούκιος Αἰμίλλιος Ῥῆκτος λέγει· [2] ἐπειδὴ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς ἱ̣εροτάτης [3] καὶ εὐεργετικωτάτης ἰς τὴν πόλειν [4] ἐπιστολῆς πᾶσα ἡ πόλεις παρατυχεῖν [5] οὐκ ἠδυνηθη{ν} διὰ τ̣ὸ̣ π̣λ̣ῆ̣θος αὐτῆς, [6] ἀνανκαῖον ἡγησάμην ἐκθεῖναι [7] τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἵνα κατʼ ἄνδρα ἕκαστον [8] ἀναγεινοσκων αὐτὴν τή̣ν τε μεγαλιό̣τητα [9] τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν Καίσαρος θαυμάσητε [10] καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὴν πόλε̣ιν [[ὁμοίᾳ]] εὐνοίᾳ [11] χάριν ἔχητε. (ἔτους) β Τιβερίου Κλαυδίου [12] Καίσαρος Σεβαστοῦ Γερμανικοῦ Αὐτοκράτορος, μηνὸς Νέου [13] Σεβαστο(ῦ) ιδ. Col. II [14] Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Καῖσαρ Σεβαστὸς Γερμανικὸς Αὐτοκράτωρ ἀρχ{ι}ιερεὺς [15] μέγειστος δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας ὕπατος ἀποδεδιγμένος Ἀλεξανδρέων [16] τῇ πόλει χαίρειν. Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Βάρβιλλος, Ἀπολλώνις Ἀρτεμιδώρου, [17] Χαιρήμων Λεονίδου, Μάρκος Ἰούλιος Ἀσκληπιάδης, Γάιος Ἰούλιος Διονύσιο(ς), [18] Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Φανίας, Πασίων Ποτάμωνος, Διονύσιος Σαββ̣ί̣ωνος [19] Τιβέριος Κλαύδις <Ἀρχίβος>, Ἀπολλώνις Ἀρίστονος, Γάιος Ἰούλιος Ἀπολλ̣ώνιος, Ἑρμαίσκος [20] Ἀπολλωνίου, ὑ πρέσβεις ὑμῶν, ἀναδόντες μοι τὸ ψήφισμα πολλὰ περὶ [21] τῆς πόλεως διεξῆλθον, ὑπαγόμενοί μοι <ζ>ῆλον πρὸς τὴν ε̣ἰς ἡμᾶς [22] εὔνοιαν ἣν ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων, εὖ εἴστε, παρʼ ἐμοὶ τεταμιευμένη̣ν̣ ε̣[τι] [23] εἴχεται, φύσει μὲν εὐσεβεῖς περὶ τοὺς Σεβαστοὺς ὑπάρχοντες, ὡς [24] ἐκ πολλῶν μοι γέγονε γνόριμον, ἐξερέτως δὲ περὶ τὸν ἐμὸν [25] οἶκον καὶ σπουδάσαντες καὶ σπουδασθέντος, ὧν εἵνα τὸ τελευ- [26] ταῖον εἴπωι παρεὶς τὰ ἄλλα μέγειστός ἐστιν μάρτυς οὗμος ἀδελφὸς [27] Γερμανικὸς Καῖσαρ γνησιωτέραις ὑμᾶς φωναῖς προσαγορεύσας· [28] διόπερ ἡδέως προσεδεξάμην τὰς δοθείσας ὑφʼ ἡμῶν μοι τιμὰς [29] καίπερ οὐκ ὢν πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα {ρ} ῥαίδιος. καὶ προ͂τα μὲν Σεβαστὴν [30] ὑμεῖν ἄγειν ἐπιτρέπωι τὴν ἐμὴν γενεθλείαν ὃν τρόπον αὐτοὶ προ [31] είρησθαι, τὰς τὲ ἑκα{τασ}σταχοῦ τῶν ἀνδριάντων ἀναστάσεις [32] ἐμοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ γένους μου ποιήσασθε συνχωρῶι· ἐγὼ ὁρῶι γὰρ [33] <ὅτι> πάντη μνημεῖα τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐσεβείας εἰ̣ς̣ τ̣ὸ̣ν ἐμὸν οἶκον [34] ὑδροσασθαι <ἐ> σπουδασαται. τῶν δὲ̣ δυο̣ῖ̣ν χρυ[σῶ]ν ἀνδρ̣ι̣ά̣ν̣των [35] ὁ μὲν Κλαυδιαν̣ῆ̣ς Εἰρήνης Σεβασ̣τῆς γεν̣ό̣[με]ν̣ο̣ς, ὥ̣σ̣περ ὑπέθετο [36] καὶ προσελειπάρ̣η[σ]ε̣ν̣ ὁ ἐμοὶ τιμ[ι]ώτ̣α̣τ̣ο̣ς̣ Βάρβιλ̣λ̣ο̣ς ἀρνουμένου [37] μου διὰ τὸ φορτ̣ι̣κ̣ό̣τ̣ε̣[ρο]ς δ[οκ]ε̣ῖ[ν], ἐ̣π̣εὶ Ῥώ̣μ̣η̣ς ἀνατεθήσεται, Col. III [38] ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ὃν τρόπον ὑμεῖς ἀξιοῦτε πομπεύσει ταῖς ἐπονύμαις [39] ἡμέραις παρʼ ὑμῖν· συνπομπευέτωι δὲ [[και αυ]] αὐτῶι καὶ δίφρος [40] ᾧ βούλεσθαι κόσμωι ἠσκημένος. εὐῆθες δʼ ἴσ{σ}ως τοσαύτας [41] προσ[ι]έμενον τειμὰς ἀρνήσασθαι φυλὴν Κλαυδιανὰν καταδῖξαι [42] ἄλση τε κατὰ νόμον παρεῖναι τῆς Αἰγύπ<τ>ου· διόπερ καὶ ταῦτά [[ημῖ̣ν̣]] [43] θʼ ὑμεῖν ἐπιτρέπωι. εἰ̣ δ̣ὲ̣ βούλεσθαι καὶ Οὐειτρασίου Πολείωνος [44] τοῦ ἐμοῦ ἐπιτρόπου τοὺς ἐφίππους ἀνδριάντας ἀναστήσατε. τῶν δὲ [45] τετραπώλων ἀναστάσε̣[ι]ς <ἃς περὶ τὰς εἰσ>βολὰς τῆς χώρας ἀφιδρῦσέ μοι βούλεσθαι [46] συνχωρῶι, τὸ μὲν περ̣ὶ̣ τὴν Ταπόσιριν καλουμένην τῆς Λιβύης, [47] τὸ δὲ περὶ Φάρον τῆς Ἀλεξανδρε̣ίας, τρίτον δὲ περὶ Πηλούσιον [48] τῆς Αἰγύπ<τ>ου στῆσαι. ἀρχ{ι}ιερέα δʼ ἐμὸν καὶ ναῶν κατασκευὰς [49] παρετοῦμε, οὔτε φορτικὸς τοῖς κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνθρόποις [50] βουλόμενος εἶναι τὰ ἱ̣ε̣ρ̣ὰ δὲ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μόνοις τοῖς θεοῖς [51] ἐξέρετα ὑπὸ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος ἀποδεδόσθαι κρίν[ω]ν. [52] περὶ δὲ τῶν αἰτημ̣άτων ἃ παρʼ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν ἐσπουδάκα [53] τε οὕτως γεινώσκωι· ἅπασι τοῖς ἐφηβευκώσει ἄχρει τῆς [54] ἐμῆς ἡγεμονείας βαί[[βον]]βαιον διαφυλάσσωι τὴν Ἀλεξανδρέων [55] πολειτείαν ἐπὶ τοῖς τῆς πόλεως τειμείοις κ̣α̣ὶ̣ φ̣ι̣λανθρόποις [56] πᾶσει πλὴν εἰ μή τινε̣ς ὑπῆλθον ὑμᾶς ὡς ἐ̣γ δ̣ού̣λ̣ων [57] γ[ε]γ̣ονότες ἐφηβεῦσαι̣, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ οὐχ ἧσσον εἶ̣ν̣α̣ι βούλομε [58] βέβαια πάνθʼ ὅσα ὑμεῖν ἐχαρίσθη ὑπό τε τῶν πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἡγεμόνων [59] καὶ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν̣ ἐπάρχων, ὡς καὶ [ὁ] θεὸς̣ Σεβαστὸς ἐβεβαίωσε. Col. IV [60] τοὺς δὲ νεοκόρους τοῦ ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ναοῦ ὅς ἐστ̣ι̣ν τοῦ θεοῦ [61] Σεβαστοῦ κληροτοὺς εἶναι βούλομε καθὰ καὶ ὑ ἐν Κανόπωι [62] τοῦ αὐτοῦ θεοῦ Σεβαστοῦ κληροῦνται. ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ τὰς πολει [63] τεικάς ἀρχὰς τριετῖ̣ς εἶναι καὶ πάν<υ> ἐμοὶ [[υ]] καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι [64] δοκεῖται, ὑ γὰρ <ἄρ>χοντες φώβωι τοῦ δώσειν εὐθύνας ὧν κακῶς [65] ἦρξαν μετριώτεροι ἡμεῖν προσενεκθήσονται τὸ̣ν̣ ἐ̣ν ταῖς [66] ἀρχαῖς χρόνον. περὶ δὲ τῆς βουλῆς ὅ τι μέν ποτε σύνηθες [67] ὑμ̣εῖν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων βασιλέων οὐκ ἔχωι λέγειν, ὅτι δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν [68] πρὸ ἐμοῦ Σεβαστῶν οὐκ εἴχεται σαφῶς οἴδατε. καινοῦ δὴ [69] πράγματος νῦν προ͂των καταβαλλομένου ὅπερ ἄδηλον εἰ συνοί [70] σει τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς πράγμασει ἔγραψα Αἰμιλλίωι Ῥήκτωι [71] διασκέψασθαι καὶ δηλῶσέ μοι εἴ ται καὶ συνείστασθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν δεῖ, [72] τόν τε τρόπον, εἴπερ ἄρα συνάγειν δέυ, καθʼ ὃν γενήσεται τοῦτο. [73] τῆς δὲ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ταραχῆς καὶ στάσεως, μᾶλλον δʼ εἰ χρὴ τὸ ἀλη̣θὲς [74] εἰπεῖν τοῦ πολέμου, πότεροι μεν αἴτιοι κατέστησαν, καίπερ [75] ἐξ ἀντικαταστάσεως πολλὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων πρέσβεων [76] φιλοτειμηθέντων καὶ μάλιστα Διονυσίου τοῦ Θέων[ο]ς, ὅμως [77] οὐκ ἐβουλήθην ἀκριβῶς ἐξελένξαι, ταμιευόμενος ἐμ̣αυτῶι [78] κατὰ τῶν πάλειν ἀρξαμένων ὀργὴν ἀμεταμέλητον· [79] ἁπλῶς δὲ προσαγορεύωι ὅτι ἂν μὴ καταπαύσηται τὴν ὀλέ [80] θριον ὀργὴν ταύτην κατʼ ἀλλήλων αὐθ<ημερ>όν, ἐγβιασθήσομαι [81] δῖξαι ὗόν ἐστιν ἡγεμὼν φιλάνθροπος εἰς ὀργὴν δικαίαν μεταβεβλη [82] μένος. διόπερ ἔτι καὶ νῦν διαμαρτύρομε εἵνα Ἀλεξανδρεῖς μὲν [83] πραέως καὶ φιλανθρόπως προσφέροντε Ἰουδαίο<ι>ς τοῖς [84] τὴν αὐτὴν πόλειν ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων οἰκοῦσει Col. V [85] καὶ μηδὲν τῶν πρὸς θρησκείαν αὐτοῖς νενομισμένων [86] τοῦ θεοῦ λοιμένωνται, ἀλλὰ ἐῶσιν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἔθεσιν [87] χρῆσθαι ὗς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ Σεβαστοῦ, ἅπερ καὶ ἐγὼι [88] διακούσας ἀμφοτέρων ἐβεβαίωσα. καὶ Ἰουδέοις δὲ [89] ἄντικρυς κελεύωι μηδὲν πλήωι ὧν πρότερον [90] ἔσχον περιεργάζεσθαι μηδὲ ὥσπερ ἐν δυσεὶ πόλεσιν κα [91] τοικοῦντας δύο πρεσβείας ἐκπέμπειν τοῦ λοιποῦ, [92] ὣ μὴ πρότερόν ποτε ἐπράκθη, μηδὲ ἐπισπαί̣ε̣ιν [93] γυμνασιαρχικοῖς ἢ κοσμητικοῖς ἀγῶσει, [94] καρπουμένους μὲν τὰ οἰκῖα ἀπολά<υ>οντας δὲ [95] ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ πόλει περιουσίας ἁπθόνων ἀγαθῶν, [96] μηδὲ ἐπάγεσθαι ἢ προσείεσθαι ἀπὸ Συρίας ἢ Αἰγύπ<τ>ου [97] καταπλέοντας Ἰουδαίους, ἐξ οὗ μείζονας ὑπονοίας [98] ἀνανκασθήσομε λαμβάνειν. εἰ δὲ μή, πάντα [99] τρόπον αὐτοὺς ἐπεξελεύσομαι καθάπερ κοινήν [100] τεινα τῆς οἰκουμένης νόσον ἐξεγείροντας. ἐὰν [101] τούτων ἀποστάντες ἀμφότεροι μετὰ πρα̣ότητος [102] καὶ φιλανθροπείας τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ζῆν ἐθελήσετε [103] καὶ ἐγὼι πρόνοιαν τῆς πόλεως ποήσομαι τὴν ἀνατάτωι [104] καθάπερ ἐκ προγόνων οἰκίας ὑμῖν ὑπαρχούσης. [105] Βαρβίλλωι τῶι ἐμῶι ἑτέρωι μαρτυρῶι ἀεὶ πρόνοια[ν] [106] ἡμῶν παρʼ ἐμοὶ ποιουμένωι, ὃς καὶ νῦν πάσηι φιλο [107] τειμείᾳ περὶ των ἀγο͂να τὸν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κέχρ[ητε], [108] καὶ Τιβερίωι Κλαυδίωι Ἀρχιβίωι τῶι ἐμῶι ἑτέ[ρωι]. ἔρρωσθαι. |
| TRANSLATION Oliver 1989, 81-83. Proclamation of Lucius Aemilius Rectus. Since, because of its number, not all the populace was able to be present at the reading of the most sacred letter which is so beneficent to the city, I have thought it necessary to publish the letter so that each one of you may read it and wonder at the greatness of our god Caesar and be thankful for his goodwill towards the city. In second year of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus the Emperor, on the 14th day of the month Neos Sebastos. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus the Emperor, pontifex maximus, holder of the tribunician power, consul designate, to the city of Alexandria, greeting. Tib. Claudius Barbillus, Apollonius son of Artemidorus, Chairemon son of Leonidas, M. Julius Asclepiades, C. Julius Dionysius, Tib. Claudius Phanias, Pasion son of Potamon, Dionysius son of Sabbion, Tib. Claudius Archibius, Apollonius son of Ariston, C. Julius Apollonius, Hermaiscus son of Apollonius, your ambassadors, presented me with the decree and spoke at length about the city, bringing to me little by little a strong leaning toward that goodwill for you, the affection which, you well know, had for many years been stored up in my heart and on which you could still count, for you are by disposition loyal to the Augusti, as I know from many instances, and particularly from your devotion to my own family, which has been returned. Of this, to pass over other instances and mention the latest, the best witness in my brother, Germanicus Caesar, who addressed you in rather heartwarming terms. For this reason I have gladly received the honors you have given me, although I have no great taste for such things. Firstly then, I allow you to keep my birthday as a sacred day as you have requested, and I permit you to erect in their several places the statues of me and my family; for I see that you are anxious to establish on all sides memorials of your reverence to my family. Of the two golden statues, the one of Pax Augusta Claudiana, which I was inclined to refuse, since it seemed rather excessive, shall be set up at Rome, as my most honoured Barbillus suggested and entreated, and the other shall be carried in processions on name-days in your city in the manner you think best, and a throne shall be carried with it, according to your request. It would perhaps be absurd for me to allow such great honors and to refuse the creation of Claudian tribe and the declination of groves after the Egyptian custom, and I therefore allow these too. If you wish, you may also erect the equestrian statues of Vitrasius Pollio my procurator. I allow you also to set up the four-horse chariots which you wish to set up at the entrances to your country, at the place called Taposiris in Libya, at Pharos of Alexandria, and a third at Pelousian in Egypt. But the establishment of a high-priest and temples of myself I decline, not whishing to be offensive to my contemporaries and in the belief that temples and the like have been set apart in all ages for the gods alone. About the request which you have made from me, my decision is this. To all those who have been registered as ephebes up to the time of my principate I guarantee and confirm their Alexandrian citizenship with all the privileges and benefits enjoyed by the city, with the exception of any who, though born of slaveparents, have made their way into your ephebate, and it is also my will that all privileges which were grated to you by emperors, kings, and prefects before my time shall be confirmed, in the same way that the god Augustus confirmed them. It is also my will that the neokorio of the temple of the god Augustus in Alexandria should be chosen by lot in the same way as those of the god Augustus in Canopus. In proposing that the offices be trieteric, you seem to me to have decided wisely, for your magistrates will behave more moderately during their term of office for fear of being called to account for abuses of power. About the Council, what your custom was under the emperors before me, you are well aware. Since this is a new matter now laid before me for the first time and it is uncertain whether it will profit the city and my affairs, I have written to Aemilius Rectus to examine the question and report to me whether the Council should be established, and, if it should, what form it should take. With regard to the responsibility for the disturbances and rioting, or rather, to speak the truth, the war, against the Jews, although your ambassadors, particularly Dionysius son of Theon, in a spirited confrontation made many efforts in your behalf, I have not wished to make an exact inquiry, but I harbour within me a store of immutable indignation against those who renewed the conflict. I merely say that, unless you [immediately] stop this destructive and obstinate mutual enmity, I shall be forced to show what a benevolent ruler can be when he is turned to righteous indignation. Even now, therefore, I conjure the Alexandrians to behave gently and kindly toward the Jews who have inhabited the same city for many years, and not to dishonour any of their customs in their worship of their god, but to allow them to keep their own ways, as they did in the time of the divine Augustus and as I too, having heard both sides, have confirmed. The Jews, on the other hand, I order not to aim at more than they have previously had and not in future to send two embassies as if they lived in two cities, a thing which has never been done before, and not to intrude themselves into the games presided over by the gymnasiarchoi and the kosmetai, since they enjoy what is their own, and in a city which is not their own they possess an abundance of all good things. Nor are they to bring in or invite Jews coming from Syria or Egypt, or I shall be forced to conceive graver suspicions. If they disobey, I shall proceed against them in every way as fomenting a common plague for the whole world. If you both give up your present ways and are willing to live in gentleness and kindness with one another, I for my part will care for the city as much as I can, as one which has long been closely connected with us. Barbillus my friend, as I can witness, has always been your champion with me and has now conducted your case with the greatest zeal, and the same is true of my friend Tiberius Claudius Archibius. Farewell. |
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