Ep. 10.31.1Salvā magnitūdine tuā, domine, dēscendās oportet ad meās cūrās, cum iūs mihi dederīs referendī ad tē, dē quibus dubitō.Without 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. Ep. 10.31.2In plērīsque cīvitātibus, maximē Nīcomēdīae et Nīcaeae, quīdam vel in opus damnātī vel in lūdum similiaque hīs genera poenārum pūblicōrum servōrum officiō ministeriōque funguntur, atque etiam ut pūblicī servī annua accipiunt.In 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. Ep. 10.31.2Quod ego cum audīssem, diū multumque haesitāvī, quid facere dēbērem.When I heard this, I hesitated long and hard over what I ought to do. Ep. 10.31.3Nam et reddere poenae post longum tempus plērōsque iam senēs et, quantum affirmātur, frūgāliter modestēque vīventēs nimis sevērum arbitrābar, et in pūblicīs officiīs retinēre damnātōs nōn satis honestum putābam;For 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; Ep. 10.31.3eōsdem rūrsus ā rē pūblicā pāscī ōtiōsōs inūtile, nōn pāscī etiam perīculōsum exīstimābam.on 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.
Ep. 10.31.4Necessāriō ergō rem tōtam, dum tē cōnsulerem, in suspēnsō relīquī.So I have necessarily left the whole matter in suspense until I could consult you. Ep. 10.31.4Quaerēs fortasse, quem ad modum ēvēnerit, ut poenīs in quās damnātī erant exsolverentur: et ego quaesiī, sed nihil comperī, quod affirmāre tibi possim.You 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. Ep. 10.31.4Ut dēcrēta quibus damnātī erant prōferēbantur, ita nūlla monumenta quibus līberātī probārentur.Whereas the decrees by which they had been condemned were produced, there were no records to prove that they had been released. Ep. 10.31.5Erant tamen, quī dīcerent dēprecantēs iussū prōcōnsulum lēgātōrumve dīmissōs.There were, however, some who said that on pleading for mercy they had been discharged by order of the proconsuls or legates. Ep. 10.31.5Addēbat fidem, quod crēdibile erat nēminem hoc ausum sine auctōre.What lent this credibility was that it was believable that nobody had dared to do this without authority.