Letter 6014: I can see you're still wondering whether the confiscation of property followed Rufinus's punishment [Rufinus was a...
I can see you're still wondering whether the confiscation of property followed Rufinus's punishment [Rufinus was a powerful praetorian prefect whose spectacular downfall was a major political event]. The proof is right there, sealed in imperial decrees. And really, given the long record of that old plunderer, no one should have doubted that the treasury would reclaim the spoils he'd stripped from the empire.
If only such great joy weren't spoiled by the grain shortage, which no new harvest has relieved. The quality of the food itself is horrifying and destroying people's health -- this kind of sustenance is worse than going hungry. What holds the people together is the hope of grain promised by the senators, and the pious generosity of the leading men keeps the city in harmony.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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