Letter of Hadrian to Aphrodisias
created: transcription (Reynolds); publications.
source date: Inscription: second to third centuries C.E. Document: 119 A.D.
language: en; grc
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Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Τραϊανοῦ Παρθικοῦ υἱός θεοῦ Νέρουα υἱωνός Τραϊανὸς Ἁδριανὸς Σεβαστός ἀρχιερεὺς μέγιστος δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας τὸ γ Ἀφροδεισιέων ἄρχουσι βουλῇ δήμῳ χαίρειν τὴν μὲν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ αὐτονομίαν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ ὑπάρξαντα ὑμεῖν παρά τε τῆς συνκλήτου καὶ τῶν πρὸ ἐμοῦ αὐτοκρατόρων ἐβεβαίωσα πρόσθεν. Ἐντευχθεὶς δὲ διὰ πρεσβείας περὶ τῆς τοῦ σιδήρου χρήσεως καὶ τοῦ τέλους τῶν ἥλων καίπερ ἀνφισβητησίμου τοῦ πράγματος ὄντος διὰ τὸ μὴ νῦν πρῶτον τοὺς τελώνας ἐπικεχειρηκέναι παρ’ ὑμῶν ἐγλέγειν Ὁμῶς εἰδὼς τὴν πόλιν τά τε ἄλλα τειμῆς οὖσαν ἀξίαν καὶ ἐξῃρημένην τοῦ τύπου τῆς ἐπαρχείας ἀπαλάσσω αὐτὴν τοῦ τελέσματος καὶ γέγραπφα Κλαυδίῳ Ἀγριππείνῳ τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ μου παρανγεῖλαι τῷ μεμισθωμένῳ Τὸ ἐν Ἀσίᾳ τέλος ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς ὑμετέρας πόλεως

Imperator Caesar Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus, son of divus Trajanus Parthicus, grandson of divus Nerva, Pontifex Maximus, holding the tribunician power for the third time, greets the Magistrates, Council and People of the Aphrodisians.

Your freedom, autonomy and other (privileges) which were given you by the Senate and the Emperors who have preceded me, I confirmed earlier. I have been petitioned through an embassy about the use of iron and the tax on nails. Although the matter is controversial, since this is not the first time that the collectors have attempted to collect from you, nevertheless, knowing that the city is in other respects worthy of honour and is removed from the formula provinciae, I release it from payment and I have written to Claudius Agrippinus, my procurator, to instruct the contractor for the tax in Asia to keep away from your city.

[^1]: Having been requested by an embassy concerning the exploitation of iron and the tax on nails, although the matter is disputable, since it is not now for the first time that the publicani attempt to raise it from you, nevertheless, knowing that city both otherwise deserves honour and has been removed from the framework of the province, I exempt it from the tax and have written to my procurator, Claudius Agrippinus, to instruct the man who has contracted for the tax in Asia to exempt your city.

[^1: Lines 8-17]

Hadrian held the tribunician power for the third time in 119; throughout this year he was in Italy, if not in Rome. For further commentary see Aphrodisias and Rome, 116-118.

[...] in 1967

[...] 429 description and partial translation; [...] 15 whence [...] 1984.869, [...] 32.1097, [...] 1983.376, [...] 33.855, [...] 52 ; [...] 8.34.