07-02-2009, 11:43 AM
I would agree with Jona so far as Pliny is concerned for there is a letter of Pliny to a friend where he seeks the good offices on behalf of Suetonius and refers to him as scholasticus ( a student ) and contubernalis meus ( my intimate friend ), who is anxious to purchase a small estate.
Indeed there is also a letter of Pliny to the Emperor Trajan where he begs the emperor to grant Suetonius the " jus trium liberonum " ( privilages bestowed upon those who had three children ) to which Trajan somewhat grudgingly assents,
It was a rule where those with three chidren could take more than half of a legacy or inheritance bequeathed to them, so realy Pliny did take good care of Suetonius in many ways
Infact later Suetonius went on to become private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian a post which he owed to Septicius Clarus praefect of the Praetorian guard 119 - 121. Both he and his Patron however were deprived of their offices because they had treated the Empress Sabina disrespectfully during Hadrians' absence in Britian ( Spartianus, Hadrian ).
This information of course comes from my 1606 translation of Suetonius by Philemon Holland ( and believe me 17th century English is very hard to follow but wonderfull to read )
Indeed there is also a letter of Pliny to the Emperor Trajan where he begs the emperor to grant Suetonius the " jus trium liberonum " ( privilages bestowed upon those who had three children ) to which Trajan somewhat grudgingly assents,
It was a rule where those with three chidren could take more than half of a legacy or inheritance bequeathed to them, so realy Pliny did take good care of Suetonius in many ways
Infact later Suetonius went on to become private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian a post which he owed to Septicius Clarus praefect of the Praetorian guard 119 - 121. Both he and his Patron however were deprived of their offices because they had treated the Empress Sabina disrespectfully during Hadrians' absence in Britian ( Spartianus, Hadrian ).
This information of course comes from my 1606 translation of Suetonius by Philemon Holland ( and believe me 17th century English is very hard to follow but wonderfull to read )
Brian Stobbs
