Epistula de constitutione civitatis Tymandenorum ( English translation )

    The civitas (municipality) was the basic unit for Roman provincial administration. It might be organized from tribal or village communities with a considerable territory assigned to it for administration. Although the civitas (municipality) itself was technically the least privileged of the forms of municipal government, it was the first step toward the preferred position of municipium (town) or colonia (colony).
    The first part of the document, and hence the names of the emperors concerned, has been lost. The script is thought, however, to be late third or early fourth century A.D.  A. H. M. Jones (The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces [Oxford 1937], 142) thinks that the author was probably Diocletian. In any case it is to be noted that Tymandus found municipal organization desirable.
    The inscription containing this epistle was discovered in 1885 on the site of Tymandus, Pisidia, Asia Minor.

LATIN TEXT ( RICCOBONO )

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

. . . deeply . . . also to the citizens of Tymandus . . . to our knowledge . . . has conveyed, we observe that the citizens of Tymandus wish with an especial longing, even with the highest zeal, that they may obtain at our bidding the rights and the rank of a municipality, dearest Lepidus.

Therefore, since we by nature desire that the number and the repute of municipalities shall increase throughout our whole domain, and since we note that these people are especially eager to obtain the name and the repute of a municipality, and since they likewise have promised solemnly that they will have a sufficient supply of decurions, we have decided that permission must be granted.

Wherefore, it is our will that you shall provide that the aforesaid citizens of Tymandus shall be urged to exert themselves obediently to fulfill, along with all our other municipalities, those duties which it is proper for persons who have secured the rights of a municipality to recognize, now that their wish has been gratified.

Just as all other municipalities, moreover, have the right to assemble municipal senates, also to pass decrees, and to do all other things that have been permitted by law, it is possible for them to do these same things also with our permission ; and they will have to create magistrates for their city, and also aediles and quaestors also, and if any other things are necessary they must be done.

Quem | ordinem agendarum rerum perpetuo | pro ciuitatis merito custodiri conue|niet.

It shall be proper that this system for conducting affairs shall be preserved forever for the benefit of the municipality.

Now for the present you must appoint fifty men as the number of decurions. The favor of the immortal gods, however, will grant that when their resources and population are increased it may be possible to have a greater supply of them.


LETTER OF THE EMPERORS ON THE TYMANDENE CONSTITUTION ( AD 3rd century ? )

*( Johnson, Coleman-Norton & Bourne, Ancient Roman Statutes, Austin, 1961, pp. 221-222, n. 270 ).*

The civitas (municipality) was the basic unit for Roman provincial administration. It might be organized from tribal or village communities with a considerable territory assigned to it for administration. Although the civitas (municipality) itself was technically the least privileged of the forms of municipal government, it was the first step toward the preferred position of municipium (town) or colonia (colony). The first part of the document, and hence the names of the emperors concerned, has been lost. The script is thought, however, to be late third or early fourth century A.D. A. H. M. Jones (The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces [Oxford 1937], 142) thinks that the author was probably Diocletian. In any case it is to be noted that Tymandus found municipal organization desirable. The inscription containing this epistle was discovered in 1885 on the site of Tymandus, Pisidia, Asia Minor.



LATIN TEXT ( RICCOBONO )		ENGLISH TRANSLATION
. . . . . oui penitus. . . \| . . . . . Tymandenis item \| . . . . . ad scientiam nostram \| . . . .tua pertulit, contemplati sumus \| [Tyman]denos uoto praecipuo, summo etiam \| studio optare, ut ius et dignitatem ciuita\|tis praecepto nostro consequantur, Lepide \| carissime.		. . . deeply . . . also to the citizens of Tymandus . . . to our knowledge . . . has conveyed, we observe that the citizens of Tymandus wish with an especial longing, even with the highest zeal, that they may obtain at our bidding the rights and the rank of a municipality, dearest Lepidus.

Cum itaque ingenitum nobis \| sit, ut per uniuersum orbem nostrum ciui\|tatum honor ac numerus augeatur eos\|que eximie cupere uideamus, ut ciuitatis \| nomen honestatemque percipiant, isdem \| maxime pollicentibus, quod apud se decu\|rionum sufficiens futura sit copia, cre\|didimus adnuendum.		Therefore, since we by nature desire that the number and the repute of municipalities shall increase throughout our whole domain, and since we note that these people are especially eager to obtain the name and the repute of a municipality, and since they likewise have promised solemnly that they will have a sufficient supply of decurions, we have decided that permission must be granted.

Quare uolumus, \| ut eosdem Tymandenos hortari cu\|res, ut uoti sui conpotes redditi \| cum ceteris ciuitatibus nostris ea, que \| ipsos consecutos ius ciuitatis conpe\|tit recognoscere, obsequio suo nitan\|tur inplere.		Wherefore, it is our will that you shall provide that the aforesaid citizens of Tymandus shall be urged to exert themselves obediently to fulfill, along with all our other municipalities, those duties which it is proper for persons who have secured the rights of a municipality to recognize, now that their wish has been gratified.

Ut autem sic uti ceteris \| ciuitatibus ius est coeund[i i]n curiam, \| faciendi etiam decreti et gerendi ce\|tera, que iure permissa sunt, ipsa quo\|que permissu nostro agere possit, et \| magistratus ei itemque aediles, quaes\|tores quoque et si qua alia necessaria \| facienda sunt, creare debebunt.		Just as all other municipalities, moreover, have the right to assemble municipal senates, also to pass decrees, and to do all other things that have been permitted by law, it is possible for them to do these same things also with our permission ; and they will have to create magistrates for their city, and also aediles and quaestors also, and if any other things are necessary they must be done.

Quem \| ordinem agendarum rerum perpetuo \| pro ciuitatis merito custodiri conue\|niet.		It shall be proper that this system for conducting affairs shall be preserved forever for the benefit of the municipality.

Numerum autem decurionum \| interim quinquaginta hominum in\|stituere debebis. Deorum autem in\|mortalium fauor tribuet, ut aucti[s \| e]orum uiribus adque numero mai[or e]\|orum haberi copia possit.		Now for the present you must appoint fifty men as the number of decurions. The favor of the immortal gods, however, will grant that when their resources and population are increased it may be possible to have a greater supply of them.