Graham, Alexander: Roman Africa: an outline of the history of the Roman occupation of North Africa ; based chiefly upon inscriptions and monumental remains in that country (London [u.a.], 1902)

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Roman Africa

differently explained by an interpretation of fragmentary-
inscriptions found in the country. Anyhow, the letters
addressed to Trajan and the Emperor's replies to his dear
' Secundus ' are of special interest, because they convey a faith-
ful impression of the manners of the time and the honest
attempts to do justice to every subject of the Empire. It
must, however, be borne in mind that Pliny was not only the
governor or proconsul of Bithynia, but that he acted as the
Emperor's own lieutenant with extraordinary powers, and was
privileged to hold direct communication with his august master
on all matters relating to his office. From the time of Augustus
the proconsuls had ruled over the provinces more or less
despotically. When any of the Emperors exercised arbitrary
powers in Rome by exorbitant demands, or exacted heavy
tribute from the more prosperous colonies, the proconsuls, after
satisfying the needs of the imperial treasury, did not hesitate
to serve their own interests. To plunder the towns seemed to
be one of the duties of their high office, till at last the title of
proconsul became identified with robbery and extortion. So
long as the farmers of taxes throughout the Empire paid certain
fixed sums into the treasury at Rome, and gave security for
the payment, the proconsuls did not trouble themselves about
the way in which taxes were collected. If the collector suc-
ceeded in enriching himself at the expense of the people, the
proconsul expected to share the plunder. As a governor
invested with almost despotic powers he could prevent extor-
tion, but ultimately found it to his interest to promote it; and
as a senator he was not amenable to the ordinary laws, but was
responsible to the Senate only for his actions. Tacitus tells us
that in the western provinces of Mauritania Caesarea and
Tingitana, plunder and depredation were tacitly recognised.
Nero placed the former under the governorship of Albinus,
who was master of a considerable body of troops, with nume-
rous auxiliary companies raised in the country, all of whom
lived more or less by rapine and depredation.1 Nerva was the
first Emperor to initiate a better order of things, but to Trajan
may be credited the establishment of a form of provincial
government, which was honourable in the demands made upon
his subjects, progressive in its policy, and inimical to all kinds

1 Tacitus, Hist. ii. 58-59.