﻿84 THE AGE OF PETRONIUS ARBITER. 



13. C. 60. 7: "et Augusto patri patriae feliciter diximus." There seems to be no 

 doubt or difference of ojiinion eonceming the reading in this passage, so that so far 

 we may consider the text as correct. The term "Augustus," as the title of the 

 emperor, was first bestowed by the senate upon OctaAianus, the 17th Jan. (according 

 to the Feriale Cumanum the 30th, according to 0\id. Fast. 1. 587 the 13th) 27 B. C. 

 (727 U. C), and descended by inheritance to his successors. So far, then, the term 

 Augustus throws no other light on our question — because it applies to Tiberius,* 

 Caligula, Claudius, Xero, and others, as well as to OctaAianus — than to fix a limit 

 beyond which we cannot go back. Octananus was the first who received the title 

 Augustus, and we cannot, therefore, go beyond the year 27 B. C. (727 U. C). Exam- 

 ining the other expression, " pater patriae," we shall find ourselves obliged to descend 

 still farther than the year 27 B. C. The title "pater patriae" was conferred on 

 Augustus on the 5th Febr. 2 B. C. (752 U. Cf)- Inhabitants of Italy could not use, 

 and could not be represented as using, this familiar title of Augustus before it existed, 

 — before the senate had conferred it upon Augustus ; and we cannot, therefore, carry 

 the time when this book was written farther back than the year 2 B. C. (752 U. C). 

 The book must have been written, therefore, after the year 2 B. C. (752 U. C). 'WTiat- 

 ever influence this fact may have upon the interpretation of the expression " Faler- 

 uum Opimianum annorum centum" (c. 34:. 6), pre\iously considered, this expression, 

 " pater patriae," fixes a limit beyond which we cannot by any possibility go. 



As to the question whether the title "pater patriae" may not refer to some one of 



* It should be borne in mind, however, that Tiberius, while rejecting the title "pater patriae" altogether, 

 admitted the name Augustus in a very qualified manner ; he opposed the action of the senate when they 

 voted it, but allowed the title to be used when he was addressed orally or in writing, and used it himself 

 when enumerating his titles, in letters to foreign kings. Cf. Dio Cass. 57. 8 : ovre yap Secnrorriv iavrbv rois 

 eXevdepois, oCre avTOKparopa, ttX^v Toir crrpaTiaTats, KaXf ij* i<pUi • to re toO Trarpos rqf narpiBos TTpoaprifia iravre^ais Sif ti- 

 (TOTO, Kal TO row Avyowrrou ovk iiredero fiiv (ou yap yjrt)<j>t<T6^vai irore tiao-f), 'Keyofievov 8" oKoiav Kai ypa(\>6p.evov ava- 

 yivixTKav ((f>epe • (cm oaaKis yf ^acriXfva-i Turiv ejre'ortXXe, Koi eiccwo itpoaevkypa^c. This testimony of Dio Cassius 

 is SO plain and unqalified, that the idea that the above salutation was intended for Tiberius cannot be enter- 

 tained for one moment. 



t Zumpt, in his Annales, says, under the year 751 : " Hoc ferme anno, quo Servius Galba, qui postea 

 imperavit, natus est, Messala Corvinus, orator 70 annos natus, itemque M. Porcius Latro, nobilissimus elo. 

 quentiae professor, obierunt." On the other hand, Suetonius (Octav. 58) states distinctly that Valerius 

 Messala was, upon the occasion of conferring the title " pater patriae " upon Augustus, the spokesman of the 

 senate, and gives the very words used by Messala, and by Augustus in his reply : " cui lacrimans respondet 

 Augustus his verbis — ipsa enim, sicut Messalae, posui." This slight discrepancy must be settled by sup- 

 posing Zumpt to be in error ; he himself does not seem to be confident that his statement is precise, for he 

 says, " hoc ferme anno." 



