1Without detriment to your greatness, my lord, you must stoop to my concerns, since you have given me the right to refer to you matters about which I am in doubt. 2In most cities, especially Nicomedia and Nicaea, certain persons condemned either to hard labour or to the gladiatorial school and to similar kinds of punishment are performing the duties and service of public slaves, and even receive an annual allowance as public slaves. 2When I heard this, I hesitated long and hard over what I ought to do. 3For I thought it too severe to return to their punishment, after a long time, men most of whom were already old and, as is affirmed, were living frugal and modest lives, and I did not think it quite respectable to keep condemned men in public employment; 3on the other hand, for these same men to be fed by the state in idleness I judged useless, and not to feed them even dangerous.
4So I have necessarily left the whole matter in suspense until I could consult you. 4You will perhaps ask how it came about that they were released from the punishments to which they had been condemned: I too asked, but found out nothing that I could affirm to you. 4Whereas the decrees by which they had been condemned were produced, there were no records to prove that they had been released. 5There were, however, some who said that on pleading for mercy they had been discharged by order of the proconsuls or legates. 5What lent this credibility was that it was believable that nobody had dared to do this without authority.