172 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



prefix re- in recognitio, especially as contrasted with primo. And we 

 may perhaps also compare the common phrase found in the diplomata 

 of discharged soldiers : descriptum et recognition ex tabula acnea, etc. 

 (Dessau, Inscr. Lat. 1, 198G ff). Our whole sentence, then, may 

 best be rendered: "After your first bestowal of these upon me, you 

 continued to renew them on the recommendation of your sister." 



commendationem : cf. Cic. Cat. 1, 28, hominem per te cognitum, 

 nulla commendatione maiorum. The word is used elsewhere three 

 times by Vitruvius: 31, 9; 32, 26; 63, 11. 



sororis: Octavia, the sister of Augustus, died in 11 b. c. (Liv. Per. 

 140 ; Dio C. 54, 35). We know that she had influence with her brother; 

 cf. her successful appeal for the proscribed husband of Tanusia (Dio 

 C. 47, 7). A book was dedicated to her by Athenodorus, son of Sandon 



(cf. Plut. Popl. 17, 'Avqvo&wpos 6 "Sdv&ayvos iv t<3 7rpos 'OxTaoviav ttjv 



KcuVapos a8e\<f}rjv. See also Gardthausen, Aug. u. seine Zeit, 1, 217. 

 In regard to the theory that Vitruvius wrote under Titus, it may be 

 remarked that he also had a sister, Domitilla, but that she died be- 

 fore Vespasian came to the throne (Suet. Vesp. 3), and consequently 

 before Titus attained to much power. 



servasti: "you continued." For this meaning cf. Caes. B. C. 3, 

 89, 1, superius institutum servans (so also 3, 84, 3, and 75, 2); Cic. 

 Clu. 89, ut eonsuetudinem servem. Similarly in Vitruvius 240, 21, 

 servat administrationem ; " keeps the works going," etc. This use of 

 servo is not found elsewhere in Vitruvius, who happens to employ it, 

 except in these two passages, only in connection with concrete things 

 (poma, 16, 20; fructus, 145, 20; frumenta, 147, 23; structuras, 53, 

 11; crassitudo, 75, 19; cavo, 47, 11). 



8. beneficio : It is true that this word may possibly convey here the 

 technical sense of Cic. Fam. 5, 20, 7 (see above, p. 169 and note 47) ; 

 but as Vitruvius elsewhere employs it only generally (85, 11; 133, 15; 

 151, 11), I render it by "favor," which fits both usages. 



9. haec tibi scribere coepi: "I began to write this work for you." 

 Here haec refers to the -De Architectura as now fully completed, not 

 to Vitruvius's preliminary collections (see above on scripta et explicata, 

 1, 7). For this preface was written, 49 or at least professes to have 

 been written, after the whole treatise was finished. The dative tibi is 

 supported by Cic. Top. 4, cum tu mihi meisque multo saepe scripsisses, 

 although ad and the accusative seems to be commoner in dedica- 



49 Mommserrs expression, to the contrary (Res. Gestae Augusti, 81), 

 seems to me very strange. If Sontheimer's theory (see above, note 18) be 

 adopted, perhaps we should translate: !'I set about dedicating this work 

 to you." 



