AP Latin Pliny Letter 10.6 Translation

C. Plīnius Traiānō Imperātōrī

C. Pliny to Emperor Trajan.

Agō grātiās, Domine,

I give thanks, Lord,

quod et iūs Quirītium lībertīs necessāriae mihi fēminae

because both the right of Roman citizenship to the freedwoman necessary to me,

et cīvitātem Rōmānam Arpocratī, iātraliptae meō,

and Roman citizenship to Arpocrates, my ointment-maker,

sine morā indulsistī.

you have granted without delay.

Sed cum annōs eius et cēnsum sīcut praecēperās ēderem,

But when I was publishing his years and property, as you had ordered,

admonitus sum a perītiōribus

I was reminded by those more experienced

dēbuisse mē ante eī Alexandrīnam cīvitātem impetrāre,

that I ought first to have obtained for him Alexandrian citizenship,

deinde Rōmānam, quoniam esset Aegyptius.

then Roman, since he was an Egyptian.

Ego autem,

I, however,

quia inter Aegyptiōs cēterōsque peregrīnōs nihil interesse crēdēbam,

because I believed that there was no difference between Egyptians and the other foreigners,

contentus fueram hoc sōlum scrībere tibi,

had been content to write to you only this,

esse eum ā peregrīnā manūmissum

that he had been manumitted by a foreigner

patrōnamque eius iam prīdem dēcessisse.

and that his patron had already long since died.

Dē quā ignōrantiā meā nōn queror,

About this ignorance of mine I do not complain,

per quam stetit ut tibi prō eōdem homine saepius obligārer.

through which it has come about that I have been obliged to you more than once for the same man.

Rogō itaque,

Therefore I ask,

ut beneficiō tuō lēgitimē fruī possim,

that I may be able to enjoy your kindness legitimately,

tribuās eī et Alexandrīnam cīvitātem et Rōmānam.

you grant to him both Alexandrian citizenship and Roman.

Annōs eius et cēnsum,

His years and property,

nē quid rūrsus indulgentiam tuam morārētur,

lest anything again delay your indulgence,

lībertīs tuīs quibus iusserās mīsī.

I have sent to your freedmen to whom you had ordered (it).