Letter 10030: Sempronius Caelianus acted in conformity with my commands in sending to you the slaves, into whose case we must...
L Trajan to Pliny.
Sempronius Caelianus acted in conformity with my commands in sending to you the slaves, into whose case we must inquire to see whether they have deserved capital punishment. But it all depends on whether they volunteered to serve, or whether they were picked out for service or even offered as substitutes. If they were picked out, then the recruiting officer made a mistake; if they were offered as substitutes, the fault lies with those who offered them; if they came of their own free will, knowing their status as slaves, then they are the persons to be visited with punishment. For it does not much matter that they had not yet been assigned to a company of the legions. The real truth as to their origin should have been found out on the day when they were passed for service.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
Related Letters
I too have had a letter from Gabius Bassus, in which he says that the force assigned to him by my orders is inadequate.
I agree with the construction you place on the law, my dear Pliny, and I think that the Lex Pompeia is superseded by...
It is clear to me, my dear Pliny, that you have shown diligence and careful consideration in the matter of the lake...
It seems to me that the rewards ought to begin to be due from the date when the winner makes his public entry into...
That lake you speak of may perhaps tempt me into making up my mind to connect it with the sea, but obviously careful...