The letter of the emperor Hadrian to the free city of Aphrodisias in Caria, of AD 119, answering an embassy. Aphrodisias was a civitas libera — a free city, exempt from the governor's jurisdiction and from Roman taxation, its status confirmed by the Senate and the emperors. But privilege had to be defended: the tax-collectors of the province of Asia had begun trying to levy a duty on the city's iron and on its nails. The Aphrodisians sent an embassy to the emperor; and Hadrian, in this letter, answered them. He confirms the city's freedom and autonomy, admits frankly that the legal question is open to dispute — the collectors have precedent — and then decides for the city anyway, on the ground of its honoured standing and its place outside the province's tax-register. He releases Aphrodisias from the payment, and writes to his procurator to order the tax-contractor away. The complete Greek letter, cut among the city's documents of privilege, with verbatim text, translation, apparatus and a section-by-section commentary.皇帝哈德良致卡里亚自由城邦阿芙罗狄西亚之书，作于公元后119年，答复该城之使团。阿芙罗狄西亚乃一自由城邦（civitas libera）——得免于总督管辖、亦免于罗马赋税，其地位经元老院与历代皇帝确认。然特权须加维护：亚细亚行省之税吏已着手就该城之铁与钉征税。阿芙罗狄西亚人遂遣使团上达皇帝；哈德良乃以此书答之。他确认该城之自由与自治，并坦言此一法律问题尚有争议——税吏并非全无先例——然终为该城裁断：以其地位尊荣、且不在行省税册之列为由，免其缴纳，并致书其财务官，命包税人远离该城。此希腊文书信完整传世，与该城诸特权文献同刻，附原文、译文、校勘与逐节笺注。