Ab epistulis

Ab epistulis was the chancellor's office in the Roman Empire with responsibility for the emperor's correspondence.[1] The office sent mandata (instructions) to provincial governors and other officials.[2][3]

Ab epistulis wrote in Latin (ab epistulis latinis) and in Greek (ab epistulis graecis), and composed the short responses to petitions on behalf of the emperor.[4] Holders of the position usually had a particular vocation for literary matters.[5][4]

  1. ^ Lara Peinado, Federico; Cabrero Piquero, Javier; Cordente Vaquero, Félix; Pino Cano, Juan Antonio (2009). Diccionario de instituciones de la Antigüedad (in Spanish) (1ª ed.). Fuenlabrada (Madrid): Ediciones Cátedra (Grupo Anaya, Sociedad Anónima). p. 13. ISBN 9788437626123. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Constitutiones principum". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved Aug 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Statius, Silvae 5, 1, 86-87
  4. ^ a b Potter, David Stone (2004). The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180-395. Psychology Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 0-415-10057-7. Retrieved Aug 31, 2018.
  5. ^ Birley, Anthony Richard (1987). Marcus Aurelius: A Biography (rev. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 122f. ISBN 0-7607-1186-0.