﻿92 THE AGE OF PETRONIUS ARBITER. 



not bo uninteresting to consider, for a moment, the laws regulating the liberation 



of slaves in the commencement of the imperial period. It is possible that from them, 



in connection ■n"ith this passage, we may obtain some hints as to the age of our 



author. The right of the master to manumit his slaves was originally unrestricted. 



But towards the close of the republic and in the beginning of the empire, the abuses 



connected with the manumission of slaves increased greatly, both in number and kind. 



Dionysius of Halicarnassus gives a most interesting account of these abuses, — an 



account which, coming from a contemporary of Augustus, has all the weight of the 



testimony of an eyewitness; he says (Antiq. Rom. 4. 24:): 'E-rreihTj Be Kara tovto ye- 



yova TO iiepo<i tov ?>ii]'yriiJiaTO<;, dpajKolov eivai /moi So/cet BtekOelv (u? et%e tots Pa>fiaioi'; ra 



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TO, Ka\d • eTvyyavov Br) rots 'Pw/xaioi? at tcov depairovTwv KTqaei'i KaTO. tov<; BiKaioTuTovv je- 



vo/Mevai TpoVou?. *; yap oyvjja-dfievoi, irapa tov Brj/ioalov Tovi inro Bopv iraXovfievovi e/c tcov 



Xad)vpa}V, rt tov aTpaTrjyov avy')(^a>p^<TavTO<; cifia Tali aWat? ojc^eXetat? Kai, oopvaXwTov^ Tot? 



\aj3ova-iv eyeiv, *] irpidfievoi Trap' eTepcov KaTo, tow avTov>; Tpoirov; Kvpicov yevofievav, €KeKTr]VTO 



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a-dfievc; to e6o<:, ovre ol TrapaBe^d/Mevoi Kal Biac}>v\d^avTe<; wovto, et toi? a^aipedeiaiv ev TToXe/x&j 



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crauevovi, *; Trepl tous air' eKeivccv avToii'i irpLaiiivov;, ajJi<poTepa TUVTa irap avTmv vTrup^et, avdi<! 



Twv KTrjaauevav avTOU? et? BovXeiav • ervy-^avov Be t?;? e\ev9epia<: oi fiev TrXeicrTOi TrpoiKa, Bia 



KoKoKayaGiav • kcu KpdTiffTOi uTra\XayT]<: BecnroTWV Tpdiro<; ovto<; r]v • oXiyoi Be Tive<; Xvrpa «aTa- 



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TavT eyei, aXX' et? TocravTijv avy^vcriv 7]Kei Ta irpayfiaTa, kul tu KuXa t>;9 Peofiaiiov TToXews 



ouTO)? aTi/J,a Kal pvirapa yeyovev, 6)a6' ol fiev utto XrjaTeia<;, Kai Toi,^o)pv)(^ia'i, km Tropveia^, kui 



•7ravTo<i d\Xov Trovrjpov iropov ■^(^p'qfiaTiadp.evoi, tovtwv covovvTai twv ^pTjfiaToyv rrpi eXevBepiav, Kai 



evdv<i etcrt 'Pwixalot, • ol Be, crvvicrTope'i Kal avvepyol toZs Bea-iroTaii yevofJ,evoi <f)apfiaKet.cov Kai avBpo- 



d)0Via)v, Kal tuiV els tou? 6eov<; r) to koivov aBiKr)fj,aTa>v TavTa'; (fiepovTai irap avTwv to? ')(apiTa'; • 



ol Be 'iva tov B-r\ixa<j'uo% BiBofievov (titov XafilSdvovTe^ kutu fiyva, Kai el t4? uXXt] irapd TOiv 7]yov- 



aevcov yiyvoiTO Tot? aTTopoi^ TaJi" "ttoXitcov (piXavOpuTria, (pepcoa-i Toh BeBcoKoo'i t^v eXevOeptav • ol Be 



Bia KovdiOTrjTa Tcov BecnroTwv Kal Kevriv Bo^oKOTriav ' eycoy ovv eiria-TaiJiai Tiva<; airaai toi<; Bov\oi<s 



<7vyKev(oprjK6Ta<; elvai e\evdepoL<;, iieTO. Ta<; eavruiv TeXeuTo?, iva )(pr)aToi KaXcovTai veKpoi, Kai 



iToXXol Tat? KXivai<: avTwv eKKOni^ofx,evai<i irapaKoXovdcoai Tovi TrtXou? eirl Tai!; KecpaXai^ ep^oi/Te? • 



ev oh eirdiMirevdv Tive<;, m? rjv irapd twv eTTia-Ta/jievcov aKOveiv, e/c tcov BecrficoTrjpiorv e^eXi^Xu^oVe? 



KaKOvpyoi dpTico<;, p-vpicov d^ia Biaireirpayixevoi OavaTcov • et? toi/tou? jj-evToi tov; BvcreKKadapTov; 



o-TTiXou? EK TJ;? TTo'Xeo)? diTO^XiirovTe<: ol ttoXXoI Bva-)(epaivovcyi Kai Tvpo^e^XrjvTai to e^o?, ta? ov 



TTpe-TTOV I'^yefioviKr} irdXei, Kal Trai'TO? ap')(eiv d^iovcrrj tottov, toiovtov<; TroXiTa? •jroieicrOai. One of 



