Ab epistulis was the chancellor's office in the Roman Empire with responsibility for the emperor's correspondence.[1] The office sent mandata (instructions) to provincial governors and other officials.[2][3]

Ab epistulis wrote in Latin (ab epistulis latinis) and in Greek (ab epistulis graecis), and composed the short responses to petitions on behalf of the emperor.[4] Holders of the position usually had a particular vocation for literary matters.[5][4]

Notable ab epistulis

Augustus punished his secretary Thallus "for divulging the contents of a letter".[6] Caligula dictated a letter to an ab epistulis.[7] Narcissus apparently worked as ab epistulis, because he was in charge of the grammata of Claudius against Agrippina.[7] Beryllus was the ab epistulis graecis of Nero.[7] The famous biographer Suetonius Tranquillus was ab epistulis to Hadrian,[8] according to the Historia Augusta until he was replaced for too-close relations with Empress Sabina.[9]

One of the leading rhetoricians of this time, Alexander Peloplaton, was Marcus Aurelius's ab epistulis in the 170s.[4] Marcus was impressed by the orator Hadrian of Tyre, so he offered him the job ab epistulis to recognise his excellence.[4] Aspasius of Ravenna was a Greek orator, who between AD 211 and 216 served as ab epistulis.[4] Aelius Antipater was the ab epistulis of the emperor Caracalla, who defined him "my friend and teacher, entrusted with the composition of Greek letters".[4] Marcius Agrippa was a cognitionibus and ab epistulis of Caracalla.[10]

References

  1. ^ Lara Peinado, Federico; Cabrero Piquero, Javier; Cordente Vaquero, Félix; Pino Cano, Juan Antonio (2009). Diccionario de instituciones de la Antigüedad (in Spanish) (1ª ed.). Fuenlabrada (Madrid): Ediciones Cátedra (Grupo Anaya, Sociedad Anónima). p. 13. ISBN 9788437626123. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Constitutiones principum". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved Aug 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Statius, Silvae 5, 1, 86-87
  4. ^ a b c d e f Potter, David Stone (2004). The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180-395. Psychology Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 0-415-10057-7. Retrieved Aug 31, 2018.
  5. ^ Birley, Anthony Richard (1987). Marcus Aurelius: A Biography (rev. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 122f. ISBN 0-7607-1186-0.
  6. ^ Suetonius, Div. Aug., 67
  7. ^ a b c Millar 2005, p. 15.
  8. ^ "Hippo Regius, Inscription of Suetonius - Livius". www.livius.org. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  9. ^ Historia Augusta, Hadrianus 11,3
  10. ^ Millar 2005, p. 17.

Bibliography


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