LETTER OF VESPASIAN
   
ON DISPUTED TERRITORY
   
( About AD 72 )
 
 
( Johnson, Coleman-Norton & Bourne, Ancient Roman Statutes, Austin, 1961, p. 152, n. 187 ).
 
 
   A bronze plaque, reported in northern Corsica in 1711, records this imperial letter about a boundary disputed by the Marians, who were descendants of a colony founded by Gaius Marius toward the end of the second century B.C., and the Vanacinians, otherwise unknown.
 
 
LATIN TEXT  ( GIRARD )   ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Imp. Caesar Vespasianus Augustus | magistratibus et senatoribus | Vanacinorum salutem dicit. |
  
Emperor Caesar Vespasian Augustus expresses greetings to the magistrates and the senators of the Vanacinians.
     
Otacilium Sagittam, amicum et procu||ratorem meum, ita uobis praefuisse, | ut testimonium uestrum mereretur, | delector. |
  
I am delighted that Otacilius Sagitta, my friend and procurator, ruled over you in such a way that he earned your testimonial.
     
De controuersia finium, quam ha|betis cum Marianis, pendenti ex || is agris, quos a procuratore meo | Publilio Memoriale emistis, ut | finiret Claudius Clemens procu|rator meus, scripsi ei et mensorem | misi. ||
  
Concerning the controversy which you have pending with the Marians over the boundaries in relation te, those fields that you bought from Publilius Memorialis, my procurator, I have written to Claudius Clemens, my procurator, that he shall fix the boundaries, and I have sent a surveyor.
     
Beneficia tributa uobis ab diuo | Augusto post septimum consula|tum, quae in tempora Galbae reti|nuistis, confirmo. |
 
I confirm the special privileges granted to you by the deified Augustus after his seventh consulship, which you have retained to the time of Galba.
     
Egerunt   legati   ||   Lasemo  Leucani   f. sacerd(os) Aug(usti),         Eunus         Tomasi        f. sacerd(os) Aug(usti). | C. Arruntio Catellio Celere M. | Arruntio Aquila cos. IIII idus Octobr.
  
The envoys Lasemo, son of Leucanus and priest of Augustus, and Eunus, son of Tomasus and priest of Augustus, pleaded the case in the consulship of Gaius Arruntius Catellius Celer and Marcus Arruntius Aquila, October 12.