Letter 2005: Between friends, silence is never a good punishment for an offense.
Ennodius of Pavia→Laconius|c. 496 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendshipillness
From: Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia
To: Laconius
Date: ~496 AD
Context: A rebuke to a silent friend — with the characteristically Ennodian twist that the author forgives even as he complains, because he cannot sustain the hard-heartedness that silence requires.
Ennodius to Laconius.
Between friends, silence is never a good punishment for an offense. The novelty of the revenge wounds the avenger more than the offender. It is wrong to cure faults with faults, when the physician grows sick from the very treatment he prescribes.
I wanted to imitate the silence you have kept toward me — all this time, as though you had forgotten I existed. But I am a mild man, and I could not match the contempt of harder souls. I was beaten by my own nature. Affection conquered where stubbornness might have held the line.
So here I am, writing first, because I lack the strength to hold a grudge. You owe me at least a reply. Do not make me regret that my heart is softer than yours. Farewell.
V. ENNODIVS LACONIO.
Numquam inter amantes silentio bene multatur offensa:
grauius inuentorem percutit uindictae nouitas quam errantem:
nefas est pro emendatione culparum culpas adhiberi, dum studio
curationis qui medetur aegrescit. uolui taciturnitatem quam
circa me hactenus mei inmemores seruastis imitari, sed homo
lenis animorum fortium non potui aequare contemptum. uictus
1 obligata B, oblegatam LTV tanquam T 3 quod fieri
noluit V in ras. m. 1 7 cepta PT, concepta L aduliscentibus
B 8 comercium PT, commertium V 10 dispendiam B 11 affectum
LT, effectam V corr. m. 1 12 oportunissimum BLPTYb
13 boneraui Tl 15 effusissime L corde fort . 17 cupiosus
B nescit B uerborum] sermonum Pb 18 diludere B
V. 20 lacon.io L 21 amanHtes L te fort. eras . 28 *mendatione
B ad.iberi L h eras . 24 midetur V1 egriscit B
noluit T 25 actenus B 26 lenes B, lenia b et Sinn . equare B
sum naturae fragilitate, confiteor, et quod uos credo conputare
inter uitia plus amando stili abstinentiam effusa loquacitate
pensaui et longi dolorem silentii sermonis ubertate conposui.
expectans quidem a uobis praeuium munus in litteris, sed nolui
mihi ipse, dum diu taceo, negare responsum, aestimans, quod
loquendi formam dare nisi loquendo non possem. proinde, domine
mi, salutationis debendae obsequium soluens perlatorem praesentium
ad uos specialiter destinatum solita dignatione suscipite
et sublatum de consuetudine scribendi usum reparate, ne in
damnum gratiae parcitas contingat ista uerborum.
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia
To:Laconius
Date:~496 AD
Context:A rebuke to a silent friend — with the characteristically Ennodian twist that the author forgives even as he complains, because he cannot sustain the hard-heartedness that silence requires.
Ennodius to Laconius.
Between friends, silence is never a good punishment for an offense. The novelty of the revenge wounds the avenger more than the offender. It is wrong to cure faults with faults, when the physician grows sick from the very treatment he prescribes.
I wanted to imitate the silence you have kept toward me — all this time, as though you had forgotten I existed. But I am a mild man, and I could not match the contempt of harder souls. I was beaten by my own nature. Affection conquered where stubbornness might have held the line.
So here I am, writing first, because I lack the strength to hold a grudge. You owe me at least a reply. Do not make me regret that my heart is softer than yours. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.