UC-NRLF $B m 2flM EXCHANGE ^.k!^ THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF THE WRITINGS OF GAIUS SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IN 1897 BY WALTER DENNISON (Reprint from the American Journal of Archakologt, Second Series, Vol. II, 1898) THE MACMILLAN COMPANY^^^^^^^ 1898 I \ -J-. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from Microsoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/epigraphicsourceOOdennrich THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF THE WRITIISGS OF GAIUS SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY JN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IN 1897 BY WALTER DENNISON (Reprint from the American Journal of Archaeology, Second Series, Vol. II, 1898) THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1898 ^mer Iran Sciiool; '■!,,', :\ . -^ 1 ^ \ \ of Classical Studies ^ ^ v in Eome ^^ THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS No one has hitherto undertaken a thorough investigation in regard to the extent to which the ancient Roman historians made use of epigraphical monuments.^ Of those who have written on the sources of Suetonius, Maffei^ has given some attention to the inscriptions actually occurring in the text ; Schweiger^ has merely mentioned the Monumentum Ancyra- num (p. 13), the Fasti (p. 19), and the public monuments (pp. 24, 26); Krause* refers only in a general way to the Fasti, acta publica, monumenta (pp. 29, 30, 35, 42, 53-55, 58, 75), and to the Monumentum Ancyranum, which, he remarks, Sue- tonius " summa cum diligentia consuluit " ; H. Lehmann ^ treats briefly of the epigraphical sources of Suetonius with special reference to the Monumentum Ancyranum ; likewise Egger in a discussion of the historians of the time of Augustus^ (pp. 270-272), Baumgarten-Crusius in his edition of Suetonius'' (III, p. 714 f.), and Roth in his edition of Suetonius (p. xv). Inscriptions are rightly regarded by modern historians as affording invaluable evidence for the understanding of ancient life and the unravelling of ancient history. This is apparent to one familiar with the works of Th. Mommsen, for example", who in this field is easily doctorum princeps. Ancient histo- 1 Cf. Hiibner's remark in Ivan v. Mtiller's Handbuch, I, p. 628 (flji.). ~ Ars critica Lapid. lib. II, cap. II, pp. 43 f . 2 De fontibiis atque auctoritate vitarum XII Imperatorum Suetonii, Gottingen, 1830. * De C. Suetonii Tranquilli fontihus et auctoritate^ Berlin, 1831. ^ Claudius und Nero und ihre Zeit, Gotha, 1858, pp. 50-53. ^ Examen des historiens anciens du regne d^Augiiste, Paris, 1844. 7 Published at Turin, 1823-26. American Journal of Archaeology, Second Series. Journal of the 26 Archaeological Institute of America, Vol. II (1898), Nos. 1, 2. TEIE EPIGBAPHIC SOUBCES OF SUETONIUS 27 rians, as well, were able to avail themselves of the evidence of inscriptions if they chose to do so, though in the time of Sue- tonius the extant documentary evidence was doubtless more abundant and more easily accessible. In the first place, an examination of the text of Suetonius will be helpful in determining how communicative the historian is, in general, with regard to the sources from which he drew. There are many passages that refer in a general way to the source, e.^j. serihunt quidam (^Auy. 15); ut quidam putant (^Tih. 9, Oal, 23); ut plurimi tradant QCal. 4); ut multi opinantur (^Otho 9); a nonnullis . . . proditum QAug. 3); ex nonnullis eomperi (Nero 29) ; iactatum a quibusdam ( Vesp. 16) ; constans opinio est (Caes. 50); alii tradunt (Col. 25); originem alii aliam tradunt (Vit, 1); sunt qui putent . . . alii opinantur (Caes. 86); quidam tradunt . . . / alii . . . diversa fama est, Multi . . . aiunt. Nonnulli . . . (Claud, 44); nee tamen de- sunt qui . . . seribant (Tib. 5), etc. Frequently, remarks of different emperors^ are quoted di- rectly, in extracts that Suetonius presumably took from literary sources, e.g. Etiam nunc regredi possumus ; quod si ponticulum transierimus, omnia armis agenda erunt (Caes. 31); Quintili Vare, legiones redde / (Aug. 23); Ipsius verba sunt: Bum ve- niam ad id tempus, quo vobis aequum possit videri dare vos ali- quam senectuti meae requiem (Tib. 24); (ut ipse dicebat^ a^ioOpi- d/jL^evTov (Cal. 47). Other direct quotations are to be found in Aug. 51, 99, Tib. 28, Claud. 16, Nero 49, Vesp. 8 ; and of un- known authorship, Aug. 26, Cal. 8. Quotations of this charac- ter are very numerous. There are, for example, in the life of Augustus, nineteen direct quotations, of which fourteen are from the emperor himself; in the life of Tiberius, there are thirteen, nine being from Tiberius and one from Augustus. These quotations are now in verse, now in prose, sometimes in Latin, and again in Greek. Many passages quote, occasionally directly, more often in 1 Cf. Shuckburgh, C. Suetoni Tranquilli Divus Augustus, Cambridge, 1896, pp. xxxi f. 254833 28 WALTER DENNISON indirect discourse, from writers and historians, some of whom are obscure, others well known. Of those who are not known to us from other sources, or whose writings have entirely or almost entirely perished, may be mentioned Aquilius Niger (^Aug. 11), lunius Saturninus (^Aug. 27), C. Drusus QAug. 94), Julius Marathus (^Aug. 79, 94), Cordus Cremutius (^Aiig. 35), Cassius Severus (^Vit. 2), Tanusius Geminus (^Caes. 9), M. Actorius Naso {Caes. 9, 52), Titus Ampins (Caes. 77). Well- known authors quoted are Cicero, — de Officiis (^Caes. 30), Epist. (^Caes, 49, Aug. 3), ad Brutum (Caes. 55, 5Q'), three quotations being without definite reference to his works (^Caes. 42, 50, Aug. 94); Cornelius Nepos {Aug. 77); M. Antonius (Oaes. 52, Aug. 2, 4, 7, 10, 16, 63, 68, 69, 70); Asinius Pollio QCaes. 55, 56); Hirtius (^Oaes. 56); Plinius Secundus (^Oal. 8). Suetonius made much use of the letters of the emperors in writing the history of their lives. The letters of Augustus are quoted orat. reel, fourteen times,^ several times at length. Some peculiarities 2 in Augustus's handwriting and language are noted by the historian (^Aug. 87, 88). So, too, in the case of the letters of Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, and Domitian, extracts^ are made or peculiarities noted. But Suetonius was familiar with different books and pamphlets published by the Caesars, as well as with their correspondence. He quotes a laudatio delivered by lulius Caesar (^Oaes. 6), mentions other works of his (^Oaes. 26), and discusses his Commentaries and their authorship (^Caes. 56'); he quotes directly an edict of Augustus (^Aug. 28), and was acquainted with five of his works QAug. 85); he made an extract from the autobiography of Tiberius (^Tih. 61); used the histories written by Claudius (^Claud. 21), as well as a certain pamphlet of his (ihid. 2), some orations (ibid. 38), and others of Claudius's works (ibid. 33, 38, 41, 42) ; he was familiar with a carmen written by Nero (Nero^ 1 Aug. 51, 71 (3), 76 (3), 86, 92 ; Tib. 21 ; Cal. 8 ; Claud. 4 (3). 2 See below (p, 44), where passages are quoted proving that Suetonius had access to autograph letters of Augustus. 3 Caes. 26, 56 ; Tib. 67 ; Cal. 23 ; Nero, 23, 41 ; Dom. 13. THE EPIGBAPHIC SOUBCES OF SUETONIUS 29 24); and he mentions a history composed by the grandfather of Galba as multiplicem nee incuriosam QG-alha^ 3). Mention is made also of the acta publica and acta diurna {Tib. 5, Cal. 8, Claud. 41), as sources of information, and of the acta senatus^ (^Aug. 5). A part of Aug. 58 seems to have been taken verbatim from the acta senatus. Suetonius is careful to indicate the source when he relates the story told by his grandfather (^Oal. 19), or recounts the events of which his father (^Otho, 10) or he himself (^Bom. 12) was an eyewitness. There are also passages which indicate that Suetonius often took pains to consult different sources of information in regard to the same question, and that, after examining them all care- fully, he formed his own opinion in view of all the evidence. This is observed in his treatment of the origin of the Octavian family (^Aug. 2), and of the various accounts of the birthplace of Caligula (^Oal. 8). We may here notice, too, the expres- sions ut equidem mirer (^Aug. 3); omitto senatus consulta quia possunt vlderi vel necessitate expressa vel verecundia (^Aug. 57) ; nee ego id iiotarem^ nisi mihi mirum videretur tradidisse aliquos . . . {Aug. 88); Scio vulgo persuasum. . . . JVe illud quidem ignoro aliquos tradidisse. . ; . Adduci tamen nequeo quin existi- mem . . . (^Tlb. 21) ; unde credo (^Cal. 51) ; unde existimo (^Claud. 1); ipse ne vestigium quidem de hoe, quamvis satis curiose inquirerem, inveni (^Vesp. 1). He presents matters of small importance (^Claud. 1), ne praetermitterem quam quia verum aut veri simile putem. In the light of this brief survey, we are able to understand to what extent Suetonius has expressly made mention of the writings and documents which he used as sources. If, there- fore, he has referred so freely to the writers to whom he is in- debted, and to the works from which he has made extracts, we may reasonably expect that he will as freely refer to the in- scriptions, if he really used these as historical material. 1 Cf. E. Hlibner, De Senatus popuUque Bomani actis, in Fleckeisen's Jahr- biicherf. klass. Phil, (suppl. Band, funftes Heft), 1860, pp. 559-631. 30 WALTER DEXNISON THE MONUMEXTUM ANCYRANUM AND SUETONIUS In the discussion of the epigraphical sources, especially of the life of Augustus, we must consider, as of prime importance, the Monumentum Ancyranum. Suetonius's indebtedness to this inscription has been treated, other than by those men- tioned above (p. 27), by Mommsen in his edition (pp. ix, 1, 31, 50, 91, 132). 1 That it may be better understood how far the language of Suetonius corresponds to that of the monument, I have subjoined the following table, in which I have introduced the text of the inscription so far as it deals with subject-matter transmitted also by Suetonius: MONUMENTUM ANCYRANUM 1. Rerum gestarum divi Augusti, quibus orbem terra [vum] imperio populi Rom(ani) subiecit, et inpensarum, quas in rem publi- cam populumque Ro[ma]num fecit, incisarum in duabus aheneis pilis, quae su[n]t Romae positae, exemplar sub[i]ectum. M.A. 1, 1-3 2. Annos undeviginti natus exercitum pri- vate consilio et privata impensa comparavi, per quern rem publicam [do]minatione factio- nis oppressam in libertatem vindica[vi]. SUETONIUS Augustus, 101 . . . indicem rerum a se gestarum, quem vellet incidi in aeneis tabulis, quae ante Mausoleum statuerentur. Aug. 8 Atque ab eo tempore exercitibus comparatis . . . solus rem p. tenuit. M.A. I, 6, 7 3. Res publica n[e quid detri- menti caperet, me] pro praetore simul cum consulibus pro[videre iussit] . M.A. 1, 10-12 4. Qui parentem meum [inter- fecer]un[t, eo]s in exilium expuli iudiciis legitimis ultus eorum [fajci- n [us, e]t postea bellum inferentis rei publicae vici b[is a]cie. Aug. 10 iussusque comparato exercitui pro praetore praeesse et cum Hirtio ac Pansa, qui consulatum susceperant, D. Bruto opem ferre. Aug. 10 nihil convenientius ducens quain necem avunculi vindicare tuerique acta, . . . Brutum Cassiumque . . . legibus adgredi reosqne caedis ab- sentis deferre statuit. Aug. 13 Philippense quoque bellum . . . duplici proelio transegit. 1 Bes Gestae Divi Augusti, Berol. 1883. THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 31 /^tA^26 31. A. I, 13 5. B]ella terra et mari c[ivilia exter]iiaque toto in orbe terrarum s[uscepi]. Aug. 9 '^ Bella civilia quinque gessit. 3f.A. I, 21, 22 6. Bis] ovaiis trium- pha[vi, tris egi cjurulis triumphos. Aug. 22 Bis ovans ingressus est urbem, post Philip- pense et rursus post Siculum bellum. Curulis triumphos tris egit, Delmaticura, Actiacum, Alexandrinum, continuo triduo omnes. M.A. I, 24, 25 7. Ob res a [me aut per legatos] meos auspicis meis terra m[ariqu]e pr[o]spere gestas, etc. M.A. I, 31, 32 8. Dictaturajm et apsent[i et praesenti mihi datam ... a populo et senatu M. Marcejllo e[t] L. Ar- [nmtio consulibus non accepi. M.A.I, 32-35 9. Non recusavi in summa fru- menti p]enuri[a c]iiratio[ne]m an- [nonae, qu]am ita ad[ministravi, ut . . . paucis diebu]s metu et per[i]c[lo quo erat populu]m uni- v[ersum meis impensis liberarem]. Aug. 21 Domuit autem partim ductu par- tim auspiciis suis Cantabriam, Aqui- taniam, etc. Aug. 52 Dictaturam magna vi offerente populo, genu nixus deiecta ab ume- ris toga nudo pectore deprecatus est. Aug, 41 Frumentum quoque in annonae difficultatibus saepe levissirao, inter- dum nullo pretio viritim admensus est tesserasque^jiummarias dupli- cavit. Cf. also Aug. 42. M.A. I, 35, 36 10. Con[sulatum turn dat]um annuum e[t perpetuum non ac- cepi] . M.A. Gr. Ill, 14-19 11. rrjg [t€ (r]vvK\rJTOV kol tov S-qfiov tov 'Viojxatiov ofjLoXoyl^ojvvTOiv, ri/[a ctti/xc] A>;t^s twv T€ VOfJiOyV KOL T(x)V TpOTTOiV c[7r6 TTJ IXe]yL(TTY) [€^]ovcr[ta /x]o[vo]s xuporovqOw, dpxr]v ovSe- /x[ta]v 7ra[pa to. 7ra]Tp[ta] €[^]'>; BLSofxivrjv dvcSe^dfJLTjv. M.A. Gr. Ill, 19-23 12. d §€ TOTC 8l Ijxov -q (rvvK\r)TO^ oIkovo- jLieio-^at i^ovXero, rrjs Srjfjuipx'-Kr}^ e^o[D] Aug. 27 Recepit et morum le- gumque regimen aeque perpetuum, quo iure, quamquam sine censurae honore censum tamen populi ter egit : primum ac tertium cum collega, medium solus. M.A. II, 12-14 16. Legibus novi[s la- tis complura e] xempla maiorum exolescentia iam ex nost[ro usu redux! et ipse] multarum rer[um exe] mpla imitanda po- s[teris tradidi]. Aug. 24 In re militari et commutavit multa et insti- tuit, atque etiam ad antiquum morem nonnulla revocavit. Aug. 31: Nonnulla etiam ex antiquis cae- rimoniis paulatim abolita restituit, ut, etc. ^A ug. 34 : Leges retractavit, etc. A ug. 40 : Etiam habitum vestitumque pristinum reducere stu- duit, etc. Aug. 43: Sed et Troiae lusum edi- dit . . . prisci decorique moris existimans. M.A. II, 23-28 17. Pontif]ex maximus ne fierem in vivi [c]onle[gae locum, populo id sace]rdotium deferente mihi, quod pater meu[s habuit, re- cusavi. Cepi id] sacerdotium aliquod post annos eo mor[tuo qui civilis motus. o]ccasione occupaverat, cuncta ex Italia, etc. Aug. 31 Postquam vero pontifi- catum maximum, quem numquam vivo Lepido auferre sustinuerat, mor- tuo demum suscepit. THE EPIGRAPH IC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 33 M.A. II, 34-37 18. [Senatus consiilto eodem tempor]e pars [praetorum et trijbuuoriim [plebi cum con- sule Q. Liicretjio et princi[pi]bus [viris objviam mihi mis[s]a e[st in Campan]ia[m, qui] honos [ad hoc tempus] nemini praeter [m]e es[t decretus. Aug. 57 Revertentem ex pro- vincia noii solum faustis ominibus sed et modular ' ^-wJtlU tis carminibus proseque- bantur. SI M.A. IV, 51-54 35. Statuae [mea]e pedestres et equestres et ill quadrigeis avgeiiteae steterunt in urbe XXC circiter, quas ipse sustuli exque ea pecunia dona aurea in aede Apol[li]nis meo nomine et illorurn, qui mihi statuarum honorein habu- erunt, posui. M.A. V, 3, 4 36. luravit in mea verba tota Ita- lia sponte sua et me be [Hi] , quo vici ad Actium, ducem depoposcit. Aug. 52 in urbe . . . atque etiam argenteas statuas olim sibi positas conflavit omnes exque iis aureas cortinas Apollini Palatino dedica- vit. Aug. 17 Bononiensibus quoque publice . . . gratiam fecit • coniurandi cum tota Italia pro partibus suis. M.A. V, 10-12 37. Gallias et Hispanias provicia[s (sic) et Germaniam qua inclu]dit oceanus a Gadibus ad ostium Albis flum[inis pacavi. M.A. V, 12-14 38. Alpes a rejgione ea, quae proxima est Hadriano mari, [ad Tuscum pacari fec]i nulli genti bello per iniuriam inlato. I y n^'i '^ '^"' ~^^^ ^ M.A. V, 24-27 39. Armeniam maiorem interfecto rege eias Artaxe c[u]m possem facere provinciam, malui maiorum nostrorum exemplo regn[u]ni id Ti- grani regis Artavasdis filio, nepoti autem Tigra- nis regis, per T[i. Nejronem trad[er]e, qui turn mihi priv[ig]nus erat. M.A. V, 36-38 ■y 40. Italia autem XXVIII [colo]nias, quae vivo me celeberrimae et frequentissimae fue- runt, me [is auspicis] deductas hab[et]. (?i> Aug. 21 Germanosque ultra Al- bim fluvium suinmovit. Aug. 21 Xec ulli genti sine ius- tis et necessariis causis bellum intulit. Tib. 9 dein ducto ad Orientem exercitu, regnum Arme- niae Tigrani restituit. Cf. also Aug. 48. Aug. 46 Italiam duodetriginta coloniarum numero, de- ductarum ab se, frequen- tavit. ' M.A. V, 40-42 41. Parthos trium exercitum (sic) Roman [o]rum spolia et signa re[d- dere] mihi supplicesque amicitiam populi Romani petere [coegi. M.A. V, 44^9 42. Pannoniorum gentes, qua[s a]nte me principem populi Romani exercitus nunquam ad[i]t, devictas per Ti. [Ne]ronem, qui tumerat pri- Aug. 21 Parthi quoque . . . signa militaria, quae M. Crasso et M. Antonio ade- merant, reposcenti reddiderunt obsi- desque insuper optulerunt. Cf. also Tib. 9. Tib. 16 Ac perseverantiae grande pre- tium tulit, toto Illyrico, quod inter Italian! regn unique Xoricum et Thraciam et Macedonian! interque THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 37 vignus et legatus meus, imperio po- puli Romani s[ubiec]i protulique fines Illyrici ad r[ip]am fluminis Dan[u]i, citr[a quod Dacorum tr]aii[s]gressus exercitus meis a[u]s- p[icis vict]us profligatusque [est et postea tran]s Dan[u]vmin ductus ex[ercitus me]u[s] Da[cor]um gen- tes im[peria populi Romani per- ferre coegit]. M.A.Y, 50-52 43. Ad me ex In[dia regum lega- tiones saepe missae sunt, numquam an tea visae] apud qu[em]q[uani] R[omanorum du]cem. Nostram am[icitiam petierunt] per legat[os] B[a]starn[ae Scythae]que et Sar- matarum q[ui, etc. M:A. VI, 9-12 44. A me gentes Parthorum et Medoru[m per legatos] principes earum gentium reges pet[i]tos acceperunt, Par[thi Vononem regis Phr]atis filium, regis Orodis nepotem ; Medi Ar[iobarzanem], regis Artavazdis filium, regis Ariobarzanis nep[otem]. Danuvium flumen et sinum maris Hadriatici patet, perdomito et in dicionem redacto. Aug. 21: Coercuit et Dacorum incursiones, tribus eorum ducibus cum magna copia caesis. 68 Aug. 21 Qua virtutis moderationisque fama, Indos etiam ac Scythos, au- ditu modo cognitos, pellexit ad amicitiam suam populique Rom. ultro per legatos petendam. Aug. 21 Parthi . . . denique, plu- ribus quondam de regno concertantibus, nonnisi ab ipso electum probaverunt. 1^ Si j^Q M.A. VI, 13-15 45. In consulatu sexto et septimo, b[ella ubi civil] ia exstinxeram per consensum universorum [potitus re- rum omn]ium, rem publicam ex mea potestate in senat[us populi- que Romani a]rbitrium transtuli. M.A. VI, 16 46. Quo pro merito meo senatu[s consulto Aug. appe]llatus sum. Aug. 28 De reddenda re p. bis cogitavit: primum . . . ; ac rursus. . . . Sed re- putans, et se privatum non sine peri- culo fore et illam plurium arbitrio temere committi, in retinenda perse- veravit, dubium, eventu meliore an voluntate. Aug. 7 Augusti cognomen assumpsit Munati Planci sententia, etc. gJod - A^ €) M.A. VI, 24, 25 47. Tertium dec[i-] mum consulatu [m cum gerebam, senatus et equ]ester ordo populus- q[ue] Romanus universus [appellavit me patrem p]atriae. Aug. 58 Patris patriae cognomen universi repentino maximoque consensu detulerunt ei : prima plebs, legatione Antium missa; dein, quia non reci- piebat, ineunti Romae, spectacula frequens et laureata;. mox in curia senatus, neque decreto neque adclaraatione, sed per Yalerium Messa- 1am. Is mandantibus cunctis, etc. 38 WALTER DENNISON The language ^ of Aug. 101 is strikingly similar to that of the heading of the ^lonumentum Ancyranum, and, because of this, Mommsen (op. eit. p. 1) asserts Apparet Suetonium ipsam commentarii inscriptionem in mente habuisse, cum haec scripsit'. But if we compare the words of Suetonius with the heading of the inscription which stood in Rome^ before the Mausoleum of Augustus, we shall find that in reality there are only four words common to both, namely, rerum a se gestarum. For the heading in Rome, as seems most probable, and as Mommsen himself suggests (p- 2), ran as follows : Res gestae divi Augusti, quibus orbem terrarum imperio populi Romani subiecit, et im- pensae, quas in rem publicam populumque Romanum fecit.^ But I cannot believe that the historian copied the heading of the inscription that was set up in Rome, and then, after the examination of this evidence alone, wrote the passage in Aug. 101 above quoted. My reason lies in his own words, quern vellet incidi in aeneis tabulis^ quae ante Mausoleum statue- rentur, which clearly point to some document written before the inscription was cut, and, in fact, directing the making and setting up of it ; they seem to me to refer to the volumen, or, at any rate, to a copy of it, which was prepared by Augustus and deposited with the Vestal Virgins, by whom it was made public after the Emperor's death (^Aug. 101). This document may very well have been inscribed Index rerum a me gestarum quern volo incidi in aeneis tabulis quae ante Mausoleum statuantur. The opinion that Suetonius's source in writing the passage under discussion was either this volumen, or a copy of it, has been held also by O. Clason,^ by J. Schmidt,* and by Cantarelli.^ 1 Cf . the words of Dio LVI, 33, whose source seems to be Suetonius : TO, epya a eirpa^e irdvra a Kai is xaXfas (TrifKas irpbs r^ VPVV o-^tov t times quite A ug. 27, Recepit et morum . . . solus, and M.A. II, 2-11, et in consulatu . . . septem millia^ (see no. 15); 1 But compare the very similar manner of expression in Tih. 9, Et ovans et curru urbem ingressus est; Cal. 49, ova7is urhem . . . ingressiis est ; Oros. 6. 18, ovans urhem ingressus; Livy, Ep. 133, tres triumphos egit. Besides, the addi- tional matter given in the passage of Suetonius permits us to think of other sources as well. Cf. the acta triumphorum of the years 40 and 36 b.c. (C.I.L. 12, p. 180), which Suetonius does not seem to have examined. 2 Et in saeptis is clearly from some other source. Cf. Cal. 18. 3 Cf . Gardthausen, Augustus, II, 2, pp. 531 f. 42 WALTER DENI^ISON Aug. 31, Postquam vero . . . suscepit, a7id M.A. II, 23-28, Pontifjex . . . occupaverat (see no. 17); Aug. 22, lanum Quirinum . . . clusit, and M.A. II, 42-45, [laiiiim] Quirm[um . . . censui[t] (see no. 19) ; Aug. 41, Congiaria . . . nummos,i Caes. 83, viritim . . . legavit, and M.A. Ill, 7-21, Plebei Romanae . . . ducenta fiierunt (see no. 21) ; Aug. 49, utque perpetuo . . . constituit, and M.A. Ill, 35-39, et M. Lep[i]do . . . detuli (see no. 22) ; Aug. 29, Quaedam etiam opera . . . Gai et Luci, and M.A. IV, 12-16, Forum lulium . . . heredib[us iussi] ^ (see no. 24); Aug. 52, in urbe . . . dedicavit, and M.A. IV, 51-54, statuae . . . posui (see no. 35); Aug. 21, Germanosque . . . summovit, and M.A. V, 10-12, Gallias . . . pacavi (see no. 37); Aug. 21, Parthi . . . probaverunt, and M.A. VI, 9-12, A me gentes Parthorum . . . nep[otem] (see no. 44). In the following passages, the statements of Suetonius differ from ^ those of the inscription : Aug. 27, Recepit . . . perpetnum, and M.A. Gr. Ill, 14-19, t^s [re (t]vvk\yitov . . . av^he^a^i-qv (v. above, p. 40, Mommsen, pp. 28, 29, and Gardthausen, Augustus II, 2, pp. 521, 522) (see no. 11) ; Aug. 27, Tribuniciam . . .^cooptavit, and M.A. Gr. in, 19-23, a Sc t6t€ . . . [cAjaySov (see Mommsen, p. 31) (see no. 12); Aug. 35, Senatorum . . . lectionibus, and M.A. II, 1, 2, Senatum ter legi (Mommsen, pp. 35, 36) (see no. 14) ; Aug. 29, Quaedam etiam opera . . . Octaviae, and M.A. IV, 2-4, porticum . . . Octaviam (Mommsen, p. 80; Festus, p. 178, speaks of these two porticus) (see no. 23) ; 1 Here again Suetonius records information that is not found in the inscrip- tion ; for, independently of the latter, he makes mention of the amounts of two hundred, and of fifty (Mommsen, p. 60, proposes the reading quadragenosque) sestertii, gifts of Augustus to the people ; on the other hand, he says nothing about the sixty denarii, which, according to the Mon. Anc, Augustus gave to each of the plebs. '^ Cf., in general, all of Aug. 29, 30, 31, and M.A. IV, 1-26 (see nos. 23-29), curiam et continens . . . circiter milliens. In the case of some of these build- ings, Suetonius knew of their being constructed or restored by Augustus, very likely from an examination of their dedicatory inscriptions. 3 Some discrepancies are noted also by Egger {op. cit. pp. 271, 272). Au6.2(p - W 'A I THE EPIGBAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 43 Aug. 28, De reddenda . . . voluntate, and MA. YI, 13-15, In consulatu sexto . . . transtuli (Momnisen, p. 146) (see 110.24). Suetonius makes no reference whatever to some subjects that are treated fully m the Mon. Anc, e. g. the number of soldiers and ships captured QM.A. I, 16-20), the priestly offices of the Emperor {M.A. I, 45, 46), the vows undertaken (II, 15-20), the altar of Fortuna Redux (II, 29-33), the altar of Pax Augusta (II, 37-41), the rewards of the veterans (III, 22- 33), the aqueducts (IV, 10-12), the clearing of the sea from pirates (V, 1-3), and the fleet (V, 14-23). As regards the other passages of Suetonius, although their context is similar to that of the Mon. Anc, yet the language of the former is not such that we can assume that they depend directly upon the inscription. A study of the parallel column above at once directs atten- tion to the noteworthy fact that all the close resemblances in the text of the historian to the Mon. Anc. IV, 1-26 (see nos. 23-29), occur in two consecutive ^ chapters, Aug, 29, 30. Sue- tonius seems, at one time, to have made brief notes in a sum- mary manner, as when he says, Quaedam etiam opera sub nomine alieno, nepotum scilicet et uxoris sororisque fecit, ut, etc. ; at another time, to have added other interesting matter, taken from another source, e. g. the reasons for building the temple of Mars Ultor, and for constructing the Forum Augusti ; and how it happened that Augustus consecrated the temple of lupiter Tonans. It is worthy of note, also, that what is said about the Gauls is transmitted in consecutive text by both Suetonius (^Aug. 43) and the Mon. Anc. (IV, 33-48) (see nos. 30-34), as well as the relations of Augustus with the barbaric nations (^Aug. 21; M.A. V, 9-VI, 12) (see nos. 37-44). From all this the conclusion may be drawn that we are in no 1 Nissen {I.e.) has tried to show that Suetonius's whole scheme of arranging his material for the life of Augustus depends upon the Mon. Anc. C. Wachs- muth, Einleitung in das Studium der alten Geschichte (Leipzig, 1895), p. 685, n. 2, is not convinced of the truth of Nissen's theory. 44 ' WALTER DENNISON way authorized by the resemblances that plainly exist between the text of Suetonius and the Moii. Anc. to affirm that the historian read the inscription in ipso aere ; on the other hand, from what Suetonius says regarding the original volumeyi (^Aug. 101; cf. above, pp. 38 ff.), we may rather suppose that he con- sulted only this document, or a copy of it, and that from this he made all the extracts above cited. ^ Besides the will of Augustus, and the volumina prepared by him (^Aug. 101, Tlh. 23), Suetonius was acquainted with the wills of Julius Caesar (^Caes. 83) and of Tiberius (^Tib. 76). Finally, he not only made use of many letters of the Em- perors (see above, p. 28), but had access even to certain auto- graph letters of Augustus. In Aug. 87, he reports certain peculiarities, which litterae ipsius autographicae ostenfant ; ^ and below he says, JVotavi et in chirographo eius ilia p7'aecipue : non dividit verba nee ab extrema parte versuum abundantis litteras in alterum transfert, sed ibidem statim subieit circumducitque. In ibid. 88 he discusses the orthography of Augustus. We may compare also ibid. 71, autographa quadam epistula . . . ait.^ The remaining passages will be treated under the follow- ing heads : (1) Passages that seem to refer to inscriptions actually examined by Suetonius ; (2) Passages referring to inscriptions that Suetonius may very likely have examined; (3) Passages referring to inscriptions that, in all probability, were not examined by Suetonius personally ; (4) Passages referring in a general way to inscriptions themselves, or to 1 If the two other volumina {Aug. 101) were extant, we might possibly find that Suetonius had made use of these, too, as sources. 2 On the word domos^ used by Augustus in the genitive case for domus, cf. Ritschl, Opusc. IV, p. 169, and Lindsay, Latin Language, pp. 380, 384 ; on simus for sumus, cf. C.I.L. IX, 3473, 1. 14, and Lindsay, L.L., p. 29. Compare Quint. Inst. Orat. 1, 6, 19 and 1, 7, 22, for other orthographical peculiarities in the letters of Augustus. His style, neque praepositiones urhihus addere neque coniunctiones saepius iterare duhitamt ; etc. {Aug. 86),. and other peculiarities of diction are discussed with reference to the Man. Anc. by Wolfflin, Sitzungsh. d. kon. hayr. Akad. d. Wissensch., 1896, II, pp. 162 f., 174-176, 178, 180. 3 Cf. also Nero 52, Venere in manus meas pugillares libellique cum quibus- dam notissimis versibus ipsius chirographo scriptis . . . ; ita multa et deleta et inducia et superscripta inerant. THE EPIGRAPIIIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 45 monuments often inscribed ; (5) Passages that exhibit a re- semblance to existing inscriptions ; (6) Miscellaneous refer- ences ; (7) The Cognomina and Titles of the Emperors, occurring in Suetonius's narrative, as confirmed by the in- scriptions. I. PASSAGES THAT SEEM TO REFER TO INSCRIPTIONS ACTUALLY EXAMINED BY SUETONIUS (a) Specific Reference Augustus, 7 Infanti cognomen Thurino inditum est, in memoriam maiorum origi- iiis, vel quod regione Thurina recens eo nato pater Octavius adversus fugitivos rem prospere gesserat. Thurinum cognominatum satis certa pro- batione tradiderim, nactus puerilem imagunculam eius aeream veterem, ferreis et paene iam exolescentibus litteris hoc nomine inscriptam, quae dono a me principi data inter cubiculi Lares colitur. The imaguncula may have been a very small image of the youthful Octavius, of the kind often noted to-day in modern museums of antiquities. Of the two reasons which Suetonius advances to explain this cognomen, the first, in memoriam maiorum originis^ must be rejected, because from no source do we learn that the Octavian gens came originally from Thurii, or its vicinity. But, on the contrary, we are told by Dio Cas- sius (XLV, 1), and by Suetonius himself (Aug. 1), that the Octavii were natives of Yelitrae.^ The second conjecture is much more plausible. It is well known (App. B.C. I, 117; Flor. Ill, 20, 5; cf. also Suet. Aug. 3) that Spartacus took pos- session of Thurii in 72 B.C., and that the remnant of the famous gladiator's band was destroyed by Cn. Octavius, the father of Augustus, while he was on his way to his provincial post in Macedonia,^ that is, in 60 B.C., when his son was three years old. That Augustus bore this cognomen is known only from this passage in Suetonius, where the statement is based on three separate grounds, — (1) the imaguncula itself, (2) certain let- 1 Cf. Gardthausen, Augustus, I, 1, p. 45. 2 Cf. the inscription of Octavius, C.I.L. VI, 131 P. 46 WALTER BENNISON ters of M. Antonius, (3) certain letters written by Augustus in reply to Antonius. . These letters, of course, have not come down to us. Thurinus was not, however, a cognomen, properly speaking, as Suetonius seems to have regarded it, but Augustus, if he had this title in his earlier days, took it doubtless from his father, who earned it as 'cognomen ex virtute.' Other exam- ples could be cited of similar cognomina, won by father and assumed by son. The two sons of P. Cornelius Scipio Afri- canus the elder were named : the one, L. Cornelius Scipio Africanus ; the other, L. (or Cn.) Cornelius Scipio Africanus (cf. Marquardt, Privatlehen der Romer^ p. 16, n. 6). The cognomen Thurinus was not, at any rate, a permanent one of the Octavian gens^ and was applied by Antonius to Augustus, rather as a term of abuse, as if he were provincial and boorish (^Aug. 7).^ In no inscription preserved to us is the cognomen Thurinus applied either to Augustus or to any member of the Octavian family. Inscriptions upon imagunculae that have come down to us indicate the name, not of the person represented, but of the manufacturer, e. g. C.I.L. X, 5689. Possibly the letters in this particular imaguncula of Octavius were not sufficiently well understood by Suetonius, since he remarks upon their character, paene iam exolescentihus litteris. At any rate, the image was revered as that of the youthful Octavius because inter euhiculi Qprineipis) Lares colitur? ^ So, too, the cognomen Aricina was applied in the same abusive way to Atia, mother of Augustus, Cic. Phil. Ill, vi, 15, where Cicero's reply reveals the meaning of the cognomen. Compare also Cal. 23, Liviam Augustam . . . igno- hilitatis . . . arguere ausus est, quasi materno avo decurione Fundano ortam. Concerning the cognomen Thurinus, Drumann (Geschichte Boms, IV, p. 234) thinks that perhaps earlier in life Octavius, or his geiis, placed a great deal of importance upon the achievement in the Thurine district, and so assumed Thu- rinus as a ' cognomen ex virtute ' ; but that afterwards, when it was abandoned, the cognomen was applied to the members of the gens as a term of ridicule and abuse. Octavianus was called also KaLirias, according to Dio Cass. XLV, 1. •^ Compare the note of Casaubon (ed. Wolf), III, pp. 239, 240, " Quod in litteris eius imagunculae quam commemorat Suetonius non magis fieri poterat quam caelaturae aureae in iis operibus quae hodie vocamus Damascena"; cf. Dio Cass. THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 47 (&) More General Reference Tiberius, 5 Tiberiiini. qiiidam Fundis natum existimaverunt, secuti levem coniec- turam, quod materna eius avia Fundana fuerit, et quod mox simulacrum Felicitatis ex S. C. publicatum ibi sit. Sed ut plures certioresque tradunt, natus est Romae in Palatio XVI. Kal. Dec. M. Aemilio Lepido iterum, L. Munatio Planco conss. per bellum Philippense. Sic enim in fastos actaque in publica relatum est. Just what is meant by fasti here is not at once apparent, since the ancients used this term of various kinds of records. At first, those days were colled fasti on which it was permitted fari apud praetorem ; then it came to mean the series or se- quence of dies fasti, in other words, the calendar ; and finally, as belonging to, or forming a part of, the calendar, the fasti came to mean the consecutive series or records of the consuls ; or also the records of different priestly offices (Marquardt, Romische Staatsverwaltung, IIP, pp. 300, 301). The testimony of the passage of Suetonius in question is confirmed by the Fasti Anni luliani. Appended to the date of November 16 (XVI, k. Dec), we read (^CLL. P, p. 335) Natales Ti. Cae- saris, FER. CVM ; Ti. AugQusti') NataK^is'), ANT.^ Suetonius seems to have been familiar with fasti of this class, for he speaks (^de III. G-ram. 17), of the fasti at Praeneste, as marmoreo pariete incisos (see O.I.L. P, p. 230). But it needs to be noted that Suetonius, in the passage in question, has quoted the fasti for the purpose of corroborating the account of the place where XLIV, 7. On the cognomina, etc., of Augustus, see Weichert, Imp. Caes. Aug. scriptorum reliquiae^ pp. 61 ff, 1 The birthdays of other emperors as recorded {A\ig. 5, Cal. 8, Claud. 2) by- Suetonius agree with the Fasti ; but the historian does not indicate the source of his information. On the other hand, the day on which Drusus, the son of Tibe- rius, was born, is not mentioned {Tih. 7), or the day on which Agrippa was born {Cal. 7), or the day when Augustus assumed the toga mrilis {Aug. 8), although the information could have been gained by an examination of the Fasti. Finally, when Suetonius treats of subjects mentioned also by the Fasti, his language is not such as would lead us to believe that the latter were his source of information. Compare, for example, Aug. 31, and the Fasti pr. non. Mart.., concerning the office of pontifex maximus ; Tib. 2, and the Fasti pr. non. Apr.., concerning the introduction into Rome of the worship of the Magna Mater ; Tib. 25, and the Fasti id. Sept., concerning the impious designs of M. Libo. 48 WALTER DEMJS^ISON Tiberius was born. Bamngarten-Crusius (I.e. p. 267) considers the -que i^rjyrjTtKov, for "fasti sunt pars actorum publicorum.'' Caligula, 23 Livium Augustam proaviam, Ulixem stolatum identidem appellans, etiam ignobilitatis quadam ad senatum epistula arguere ausus est, quasi materno avo deciirione Fundano ortam ; cum publicis monumentis certum sit, Aufi- dium Lurconem [A/ss. Lyrgonem] Romae honoribus functum. As a matter of fact, the nomen of Livia's grandfather on her mother's side was Aljidius, not Aufidius. See C.I.L. IX, 3661, ALFIDIA M. F. MATER AUGUSTAS ; ibid. II, 1667, ALFIDIAE MAT. augustae; Bull, de Vecolefrangaise d'Athenes, 1868-71, p. 231, 6 8rj/jL0(; I ^ A.\(f>ihCav TTjV firjirepa 6ea^ ^lovXCa^ \ 2ey8aa-T['^]9, etc. For an explanation of the discrepancy, see Pauly-Wis- sowa, Real-Ency.., under Aufidius Lurco. Tlie confusion be- tween Alfidius and Aufidius suggests that there may have been a close resemblance in the vulgar pronunciation. Claudius, 41 Novas etiam commentus est litteras tres, ac numero veterum quasi maxi- me necessarias addidit; de quarum ratione cum privatus adhuc volumen edidisset, mox princeps non difficulter optinuit ut in usu quoque promiscuo assent. Extat talis scriptura in plerisque libris ac diurnis titulisque operum. These so-called Claudian letters are discussed by Corssen, Aussprache d. Lat. Sprache^ I, pp. 26 f., and by Biicheler, De Ti. Olaudio Grrammatico^ Elberfeld, 1856. Cf. Tac. Ann. XI, 14. There is abundant epigraphical evidence for the character J to represent consonantal u (e.g. C.I.L. VI, 355, 2034, etc.), and for the character h to represent the sound midway between i and u (e. g. the well-known inscription in the Capitoline Museum, C.I.L. VI, 553). No certain example exists of the letter 0, to represent the sound of the Greek letter ^. II. passages referring to inscriptions that SUE- TONIUS MAY VERY LIKELY HAVE EXAMINED Caesar, 85 (Plebs) postea solidam columnam prope viginti pedum lapidis Numidici in foro statuit scripsitque: Parenti Patriae. Apud eam longo tempore sacrificare, vota suscipere, controversias quasdam interposito per Caesarem iure iurando distrahere perseveravit. THE EPIGBAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 49 Whether this column was still anywhere to be seen in Sue- tonius's time, we do not know. The last sentence, Apud earn . . . perseveravit^ seems to point towards the hypothesis that the plebs had ceased to offer sacrifice, to make vows, etc., in the presence of the column. From a reference of Cicero (ad Att. XIV, 15, 2) it would appear that the column had been re- moved, but it may have been preserved.^ The inscription is worded differently Cic. ad Fam. XII, 3, Parenti optimo merito. Caligula, 15 De sororibus auctor fuit, ut omnibus sacramentis adiceretur : neque me liberosque meos cariores habebo quam Gaium habeo et sorores eius ; item rela- tionibus consulum : quod bonum felixque sit C. Caesari sororibusque eius. The formula, neque me liberosque meos cariores habebo quam Gaium habeo et sorores eius., has, so far as I know, no inscrip- tional authority. But quod bonum felixque sit C. Caesari sorori- busque eius was proposed by Mommsen QEph. Epig. V, p. 158), as a conjectural restoration of the mutilated passage in the Acta of the Fratres Arvales. It was restored differently by Henzen (CLL. VI, 2028' = ed. Henzen, p. xlii). On the oath taken in the name of the Emperor Caligula, see, in general, Eph. Epig, V, pp. 154 f. Cf . Dio Cass. LIX, 3. Caligula, 24 Tres gladios in necem suam praeparatos Marti Ultori, addito elogio, con- secravit. Caligula, 41 Eius modi vectigalibus indictis neque propositis, cum per ignorantiara scripturae multa commissa fierent, tandem flagitante populo proposuit quidem legem, sed et minutissimis litteris et angustissimo loco, uti ne cui describere liceret. Claudius, 1 Xec contentus elogium tumulo eius (Drusi) versibus a se compositis in- scLilpsisse, etiam vitae memoriam prosa oratione composuit. One wonders if Suetonius did not make use of this elogium in writing the first chapter of the life of Claudius. Perhaps, 1 Cf. Baumgarten-Crusius, I, p. 155, sed potuit manere loco, ubi fuerat columna, sanctitas qiiaedani, donee Augustus, teste Appiano, templum ibi extruxit. 50 WALTER DEN N I SON however, the words versibus a se eompositis should lead us to infer that Suetonius's source for his statement was purely literary. Similar elogia were, very likely, those of L. and C. Caesar (^C.LL. VI, 894, 895). Nero, 10 Recitavit et carmina, non modo domi sed et in theatro, tanta universoruni laetitia, ut ob recitationem supplicatio decreta sit, eaque pars carminuin aureis litteris lovi Capitolino dicata. An oratio inscribed upon a silver column is reported by Xiphilinus, LXI, 3. Dio Cassius (XLIV, 7) states that a decree, passed as a mark of honor to Caesar, was inscribed in gilt letters upon a silver pillar. Galha, 2 Xeroni Galba successit nullo gradu contingens Caesarum domum, sed hand dubie nobilissinius magnaque et vetere prosapia, ut qui statuarum titulis pronepotem se Quinti Catuli Capitolini semper ascripserit. Q. Lutatius Catulus, cos. 78 B.C. {CLL. VI, 1314), well known as a firm supporter of Cicero in suppressing the con- spiracy of Catiline, won the cognomen Capitolinus by his dedi- cation of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, destroyed by fire in 83 B.C. (Tac. Hist. 3, 72). No inscription is extant in which Galba is called pronepos of Catulus.^ Cp. Plut. G-alba, 3. Vitellius, 3 Defunctum (L. Vitellium, Imp. A. Vitelli patruum) senatus publico funere honoravit, item stataa pro rostris cum hac inscriptione : pietatis immobilis erga principem. No such inscription is extant, or is mentioned by Tacitus. Vespasianus, 1 Locus etiam ad sextum miliarium a Nursia Spoletium euntibus in monte summo appellatur Vespasiae, ubi Vespasiorum complura monumenta extant, magnum indicium splendoris familiae et vestutatis. This refers, I think, rather to buildings, etc., that the Ves- pasii had constructed than to tituli. See the notes on O.I.L. IX, 4541. 1 Popillia, the mother of Catulus, had, as second husband, L. lulius Caesar, the grandfather of L. lulius Caesar who was consul in 90 b.c. THE EPIGUAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 51 Domitianus, 5, 13 Pluritna et amplissima opera incendio absumpta restituit, in quis et Capitolium, quod riirsus arserat; sed omnia sub titulo tantum suo ac sine ulla pristini auctoris memoria. lanos arcusque cum quadrigis et insignibus triuraphorum per regiones urbis tantos ac tot extruxit, ut cuidam Graece inscriptum sit : arci. The text in the latter passage is not sound (see Roth, ed. Suet, p. 1), a condition no doubt due to the similarity of the word arci (apK€i) to arcus. We should probably understand from this passage, however, that arci was not cut upon the public monument as an inscription, but was rather simply written or scratched upon it. III. PASSAGES REFERRING TO INSCRIPTIONS THAT, IN ALL PROBABILITY, WERE NOT EXAMINED BY SUETO- NIUS PERSONALLY Caesar, 80 Subscripsere quidam Luci Bruti statuae : Utinam viveres ! This, again, was rather written than cut on the base of the statue. There exists, to be sure, an inscription worded thus, but it has been shown to be false, O.I.L. Yl, Part V, *!'*. Cf. Plut. Brut. 9. Caesar, 81 Paucos ante menses, cum in colonia Capua deducti lege luha coloni ad extruendas villas vetustissima sepulchra dissicerent, idque eo studiosius facerent, quod aliquantum vasculorum operis antiqui scrutantes reperiebant, tabula aenea in monimento, in quo dicebatur Capys conditor Capuae sepultus, inventa est, conscripta litteris verbisque Graecis hac sententia, Quandoque ossa Capyis detecta essent, fore ut lulo prognatus manu cojisanguineorum necaretur 7nagnisque mox Italiae cladibus vindicaretur. Cuius rei, ne quis fabulosam aut commenticiam putet, auctor est Cornelius Balbus, farailiaris- simus Caesaris. Such an inscription, of course, hardly existed, though there is no good reason to doubt that ancient tombs were found, in which there might have been some inscribed objects. Cf. C.I.L. X, p. 365 : " Sed, ut par est, non magis defuerunt, qui clarae urbi Troianum quendam Capyn conditorem adsererent eumque cum domo ea quae Romam condidisse fertur aliqua ratione coniunctum, in qua opinione et antiquissimus Hecataeus fuisse 52 WALTER DENNISON dicitur (fr. 27 Muell.) et posteriores complures (Coelius, apud Servium ad Aen. 10 ; Ovidius, fast. 4, 45 ; Dionys. I, 73 ; Suetonius, Caes. 81; a?.)." It should be noted that the in- scription is quoted in indirect discourse, and that Suetonius, by his last statement, cuius rei . . . Caesaris, implies that the truthfulness of the account had been questioned. Augustus, 12 Et quo magis paenitentiam prioris sectae approbaret, Nursinos grandi pecunia et quam pendere nequirent multatos extorres oppido egit, quod Mutinensi acie interemptorum civium tumulo publice extructo ascripserant, pro libertate eos occubuisse. Caligula, 8 (Plinius) addit etiam pro argumento, aras ibi ostendi inscriptas : ob Agrippinae puerperium . . . Nee Plini opinionem iiiscriptio arae quicquam adiuverit, cum Agrippina bis in ea regione filias enixa sit, et qualiscumque partus sine ullo sexus discrimine puerperium vocetur, quod antiqui etiam puellas pueras, sicut et pueros puellos dictitarent. The inscription has never been found. See below, pp. 58 ff. Hero, 41 Leviterque modo in itinere frivolo auspicio mente recreata, cum adnotas- set insculptum monumento militem Galium ab equite R. oppressum trahi crinibus, ad earn speciem exiliiit gaudio caelumque adoravit. I^ero, 45 Statuae eius a vertice cirrus appositus est cum inscriptione Graeca, nunc demum agona esse, et traderet tandem! Alterius collo ascopera deligata, simulque titulus : Ego quid potui ? sed tu culleum meruisti. Ascriptum et columnis, iam G alios eum cantando excitasse. These inscriptions, as the context shows, were written, and not of a permanent character. Nero, 47 Duos scyphos gratissimi usus, quos Homerios a caelatura carminum Homeri vocabat, solo inlisit. Vitellius, 10 Pari vauitate atque insolentia lapidem memoriae Othonis inscriptum intuens, dignum eo Mausoleo ait, pugionemque, quo is se occiderat, in Agrippinensem coloniam misit Marti dedicandum. With this passage we may compare Plutarch's statement (Otho, 18). THE EPIGBAPHIC SOUBCES OF SUETONIUS 53 Vespasian, 1 Manebantque imagines a civitatibus ei positae sub hoc titulo : KaXais TeXoivrjcravTi. An inscription, \ kXaQC TeXQ>JHCX)MTI KU\, inscribed upon the base of a statue believed to be that of Vespasian, was reported first by Boissard, Ant. Mom. I, Tab. 51, then by Montfaucon, Ant. Expl. Ill, 1, 10, Tab. 1, afterwards by Franz, C. I. Gr. 5897, and recently by Kaibel, Inscr. Crraee. Sicil. et Ital. 123*, who regards it as spurious. Titus, 4 Tribunus militum et in Germania et in Britannia meruit summa indus- triae, nee minore modestiae fama, sicut apparet statuarum et imaginum eius multitudine ac titulis per utramque provinciam. Not a single honorary inscription erected to Titus has thus far been found in Britain. The only three from that country that mention his name (^C.I.L. VII, 1204, 1205; Eph. Epig. VII, 1121) are on pigs of lead. From Germany, only one is reported by Brambach, C.I.Rh.^ Add. 2040. Suetonius knew of the existence of these tituli, very likely from the reports of the transactions of the Senate, preserved in the public archives. IV. PASSAGES REFERRING IN A GENERAL WAY TO IN- SCRIPTIONS THEMSELVES, OR TO MONUMENTS OFTEN INSCRIBED Reference is made in numerous passages to monuments that are, as a rule, inscribed, or, in a general way, to inscriptions. The most important instances of the latter are : Caesar, 28 > Ac mox, lege iam in aes incisa et in aerarium condita, corrigeret errorem. With this compare Vesp. 8, below. Augustus, 31 Itaque et opera cuiusque manentibus titulis restituit. Augustus, 97 Cum lustrum in campo Martio magna populi frequentia conderet, aquila eum saepius circumvolavit, transgressaque in vicinam aedem super nomen Agrippae ad primam litteram sedit. 64 WALTER DENNISON This building was perhaps the Pantheon ; see the inscription, C.LL. VI, 896. Cf. Dio Cass. LIV, 28. Augustus, 97 Sub idem terapus ictu fulminis ex inscriptione statuae eius prima nominis littera effluxit. Cf. Dio Cass. LIV, 29. Caligula, 14 Non defuerunt qui depugnaturos se armis pro salute aegri quique capita sua titulo proposito vovereiit. Caligula, 34 Statuas virorum inlustrium, ab Augusto ex CapitoHna area propter augus- tias in campum Martium conlatas, ita subvertit atque disiecit ut restitui salvis titulis non potuerint. Vespaslanus, 8 Aerearumque tabularum tria milia, quae simul conflagraverant, restitu- enda suscepit, nndique investigatis exemplaribus ; instrumentum imperii pulcherrirmim ac vetustissimum, quo continebantur paene ab exordio urbis senatus consulta, plebi scita de societate et foedere ac privilegio cuicumque concessis. From this passage we may infer that Suetonius was acquainted with monuments of the character described; see Mommsen, Staatsrecht, F, p. 257, n. 2. Cf. Caes. 28 (above, p. 53), and Aug. 94: curasse ne senatus consultum ad aerarium deferretur. Domitianus, 15 Atque etiam e basi statuae triumphaUs titulus excussus vi procellae in monimentum proxumum decidit. Domitianus, 23 Xovissime eradendos ubique titulos abolendamque omnem memoriam decerneret. The name of Domitian was not in all cases erased from his tituli, but very often. See CLL. II, 247T, III, 312, 4013, VI, 398, etc. Cf. Macrob. Sat. I, 12, 37. Important references to monuments often provided with inscriptions are: Augustus, 1 Ostendebatur ara Octavio consecrata. THE EPIGRAPIIIC SOUBCES OF SUETONIUS 55 Augustus, 31 Statuas omnium triumphal! effigie in utraque fori sui porticu dedicavit. Of the inscriptions cut upon these statues, the so-called elo- gia^ some have been preserved, C.I.L. P, pp. 185 f. Augustus, 59 Medico Antonio Musae, cuius opera ex ancipiti morbo convaluerat, sta- tuaui aere conlato iuxta signum Aesculapi statuerunt. Tiberius, 5 Et quod mox simulacrum Felicitatis ex S. C. publicatum ibi sit. Caligula, 7 Quorum (Germanici et Agrippinae liberorum) duo infantes adhuc rapti, unus iam puerascens insigni festivitate, cuius effigiem habitu Cupidinis in aede Capitolinae Veneris Livia dedicavit. Claudius, 1 Praeterea senatus inter alia complura marmoreum arcum cum tropaeis via Appia (Druso) decrevit. Cf. Cohen, Med. Imj). I, pp. 220, 221, nos. 1-6; Eckhel, Boc- trina Num. VI, pp*. 176, 177, for coin type representing this monument. See also Jordan, Topogr. d. Stadt Rom., I, 1, p. 365, n. 38. ^ Claudius, 2 Claudius natus est lulio Antonio, Fabio Africano conss. Kl. Aug. Lugu- duni, eo ipso die quo primum ara ibi Augusto dedicata est. See Gardthausen, Augustus., II, 2, pp. 364 ff., and cf. Strabo, IV, 3, p. 192. Claudius, 11 Tiberio marmoreum arcum iuxta Pompei theatrum, decretum quidem dim a senatu verum omissum peregit. Nero, 50 Reliquias (Xeroiiis) Ecloge et Alexandria nutrices cum Acte concubina gentili Domitiorum monimento condiderunt, quod prospicitur e campo Mar- tio impositum colli Hortulorum. In eo monimento solium porphyretici mar- moris, superstante Lunensi ara, circumseptum est lapide Thasio. Beyond doubt, Suetonius saw and examined this monument, and an inscription upon it may have been the source of his information regardiijg those who paid the last rites of burial to 56 WALTER DENNISON Nero. For the location of the monument, see Lanciani, Forma JJrhis Romae (Mediol. 1894), Fasc. II, Tab. I, and Besehrei- hung der Stadt Bom, III, 2, pp. 569 ff. Vespasianus, 12 Quin et conantis quosdam originem Flavii generis ad conditores Reatinos comitemque HercuHs, cuius moiiimentum extat Salaria via, referre irrisit ultro. * V. PASSAGES THAT EXHIBIT A RESEMBLANCE TO EXISTING INSCRIPTIONS I have found three passages of this character, but the resem- blance cannot be considered specially significant. Augustus, 57 Equites R. natalem eius sponte atque consensu biduo semper celebrarunt. Omnes ordines in lacum Curti quot annis ex voto pro salute eius stipem iaciebant, item Kal. Ian. strenam in Capitolio, etiam absenti, ex qua summa pretiosissima deorum simulacra mercatus, vicatim dedicabat, ut Apollinem Sandaliarium et lovem Tragoeduni aliaque. With this may be compared the inscription published in mtiz. d. Scavi, 1888, p. 224 : IMP • CAES/////DlVI • F • AVGVST | PONTIF • MAXIMVS • COS • XT | TRIBVNICIA • POTEST • Xllll | EX STIPE -QVAM • POPVLVS • ROMANVS j K • lANVARllS • APSENTI • El • CONTVLIT | IVLIO • ANTONIO • AFRICANO • FABIO • COS I MERCVRIO • SACRVM. See also C.LL. VI, Claudius, 20 Claudiae aquae gelidos et uberes fontes, quorum alteri Caeruleo, alteri Curtio et Albudigno nomen est, simulque rivum Anienis novi lapideo opere in urbem perduxit, divisitque in plurimos et ornatissimos lacus. With this we may compare the inscription which is still to be seen above the so-called Porta Maggiore, in the wall of Aurelian, at Rome, CLL. VI, 1256: Tl • CLAVDIVS DRVSI F-CAISAR AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS PONTIF • MAXIM • | TRIBVNICIA POTESTATE XTl COS-V IMPERATOR XXVTT PATER PATRIAE I AQVAS CLAVDIAM EX FONTIBVS QVI VOCABANTVR CAE- RVLEVS ET CVRTIVS A MILLIARIO XXXXV | ITEM ANIENEM NOVAM A MILLIARIO LXII SVA IMPENSA IN VRBEM PER- DVCENDAS CVRAVfT. THE EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 57 The additional matter in Suetonius's account points to an- other source. Cf. Pliny, JST. H. 36, 121, 122. Frontinus, Be aquaeduct. 1, 14, reads Albudinus, perhaps more correctly. Claudius, 21 Fecit et Saeculares, quasi anticipates ab Augusto nee legitime tempovi reservatos, quanivis ipse in historiis suis prodat, intermissos eos Augustum multo post, diligentissime annorum ratione subducta, in ordinem redegisse. Quare vox praeconis irrisa est, invitantis more sollemni ad ludos, quos nee spectasset quisquam nee speetaturus esset, cum superessent adhuc qui specta- verant, et quidam histrionum product! olim tunc quoque producerentur. Compare 1. 66 of the familiar inscription commemorating the Ludi Saeculares, as celebrated by Augustus (^Eph. Epig. VIII, p. 229); has neque ultra quam semel ulli mor\talium eos spectare licet]. Cf. also Zosimus, 2, 5 : irepuovre^i ol KrjpvKe^^ ek rr)v eop- Tr)V arvvievac irdvre^ eKeXevov iirl deav rjv ovre irporepov elhov ovre fiera ravra OedcrovTaL ; and Herodianus, 3, 8, 10, KaXovvT6<; rjKeiv fcal Oeda-acrOat irdvTa^ a firjre el8ov fxrjTe oyjrovraL. The passage in Suetonius may possibly be taken from a Senatus- Consultum passed in the time of Claudius, but worded like the one promulgated in connection with the celebration of Augustus. — VI. MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCES Caesar, 80 Peregrinis in senatum allectis, hbelkis propositus est : Bonum factum : ne quis senatori novo euriam monstrare velit ! VitelUus, U Statim libellus propositus est, et Chaldaeos dicere, bonum factum, ne Vitel- Uus Germanicus intra eundem Calendarum diem usquam esset. Bonum factum, abbreviated B • F-, occurs in inscriptions ; cf. Bull. Com. 1882, p. 159, and 1884, p. 58 ; see also the Acta of the Ludi Saeculares, celebrated by Augustus, 1. 80. Augustus, 29 Multaque a multis tunc extructa sunt, sicut ... a Munatio Planco aedes Saturni. With these words compare C.I.L. X, 6087. 58 WALTER DENNISOJSf Tiberius, 20 Dedicavit et Concordiae aedem, item Pollucis et Castoris suo fratrisqiie nomine, de manubiis. One wonders if Suetonius did not knoAv this from an inspec- tion of the dedicatory inscriptions of the respective temples. Augustus, 50 In diplomatibus libellisque et epistolis signandis initio sphinge usus est, mox imagine Magni Alexandri, novissime sua, Dioscuridis maiiu sculpta, qua signare insecuti quoque principes perseverarunt. Compare the Acta of the Fratres Arvales for February 26, of the year 118 a.d. (C.LL. VI, p. 537). Is it not possible that, in writing the account of the life of Germanicus (^CaL 1-7), Suetonius may have consulted the inscription, C.I.L. VI, 911, or an official copy of it? Caligula, 8 This is interesting in showing how Suetonius has treated the conflicting testimony of historians, of an inscription, and of the Acta. C. Caesar- natus est pridie Kl. Sept. patre suo et C. Fonteio Capitone coss. Ubi natus sit, incertum diversitas tradentium facit. CN. Lentulus Gaetulicus Tiburi genitum scribit, PHnius Secundus in Treveris, vico Am- bitarvio supra Confluentes; addit etiam pro argumento aras ibi ostendi inscriptas : ob Agrippmae puerperium. Versiculi imperante mox 60 divulgati apud hibernas legiones procreatum indicant: In castris natus, patriis nutrilus in armis, lam designati principis omen erat. Ego in actis Anti editum invenio. Gaetulicum refellit Plinius quasi menti- tum per adulationem, ut ad laudes iuvenis gloriosique principis aliquid etiam ex urbe HercuU sacra sumeret, abusumque audentius mendacio, quod ante annum fere natus Germanico filius Tiburi fuerat, appellatus et ipse C. Caesar ; de cuius amabili pueritia immaturoque obitu supra diximus. Pli- nium arguit ratio temporum. Xam qui res Augusti memoriae mandarunt, Germanicum exacto consulatu in Galliam missum consentiunt, iam nato Gaio. Nee Plini opinionem inscriptio arae- quicquam adiuverit, > cum Agrippina bis in ea regione fihas enixa sit, et qualiscumque partus sine uUo sexus dis- crimine puerperium vocetur, quod antiqui etiam puellas pueras, sicut et pueros puellos dictitarent. Extat et Augusti epistula, ante paucos quam THE EPIGEAPHIC SOURCES OF SUETONIUS 59 obiret menses ad Agrippinam neptem ita scripta de Gaio hoc (neque enim quisquam iam' alius infans nomine pari tunc supererat) : Puerum. Galum XV. Kl. lun. si dii volent ut ducerent Talarius et Asillius, heri cum lis con- stttui. Mitto praeterea cum eo ex servis meis viedicum, quern sci'ipsi Germanico si vellet ut 7'etineret. Valebis, mea Agrippina, et dabis operam ut valens per- venias ad Germanicum tuum. Abunde parere arbitror, non potuisse ibi nasci Gaium, quo prope bimulus demum perductus ab urbe sit. Versiculorum quoque fidem eadem haec elevant et eo facilius, quod ii sine auctore sunt. Sequenda est igitur, quae sola restat publici instrumenti auctoritas, praeser- tim cum Gains Antium, omnibus semper locis atque secessibus praelatum, non aliter quam natale solum dilexerit tradaturque etiam sedem ac domi- cilium imperii taedio urbis transferre eo destinasse. Thus Suetonius values the testimony of the acta highest. Cf. Tac. Ann. I, 41, confirming the evidence of the inscrip- tion. See above, p. 52. Caligula, 15 The tituli sepulcrales of Agrippina and of Nero are extant (^C.I.L. VI, 886, 887), but it is impossible to assert that Sue- tonius saw them. Caligula, 23 Agrippae se nepotem neque credi neque dici ob ignobilitatem eius vole- bat, suscensebatque, si qui vel oratione vel carmine imaginibus eum Caesarum insererent. ~^^ See Cohen, Med. Imp. I, p. 241, n. 31, and De Ruggiero, Biz. Epigr. II, p. 32 {fin.'). Claudius, 17 Ac sine ullo proelio aut sanguine intra paucissimos dies parte insulae in deditionem recepta, sexto quam profectus erat mense Romam rediit, tri- umphavitque maximo apparatu. Smilda^ thinks that Suetonius seems here to have followed the titulus triumphalis, O.I.L. VI, 920. Cf. note on Vesp. 4, p. 60. Claudius, 24 Triumphalia ornamenta Silano. filiae suae sponso, nondum puberi dedit. With this compare C.I.L. XIV, 2500. 1 G. Suetoni TranquilU vita Divi Claudii, Groningae, 1896, p. 79. 60 WALTER BENNISON Claudius, 25 Equestris militias ita ordiiiavit, ut post cohortem alam, post alam tribu- natum legionis daret. With this compare the note of Cagnat (^Cours d^Spig. latine^ p. 110), " cet ordre hierarchique, qui n'est pas confirm^ par les inscriptions de cette epoque, fut, en tout cas, bientOt inter- verti"; but C.I.L. XIV, 2960 seems to be an example. So, too, what follows : stipendiaque instituit et imaginariae militiae genus^ quod vocatur supra numerum^ quo absentes et tltulo tenus fu7igerentur, is hardly confirmed by the inscriptions ; but cf. Mommsen, Staatsrecht, III, p. 552, n. 1. On the milites supernumerarii, cf. Marquardt, Organisation Mil. (Paris, 1891), p. 223, n. 4. It is interesting also to note here Nero, 25 : item statuas suas citharoedico habitu (