Letter 3018: To what a height your friendship has raised me!
Ennodius of Pavia→Eulalius, of Persian Armenia|c. 507 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendship
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Eulalius, bishop
Date: ~507 AD
Context: A letter of deference to Bishop Eulalius, expressing wonder at the height to which Eulalius's friendship has raised Ennodius's standing.
To Bishop Eulalius, from Ennodius.
To what a height your friendship has raised me! The honor of your attention lifts a man of my modest station to a prominence I could never have achieved on my own.
I do not say this as mere flattery — I say it as a man who understands the social arithmetic of our world. Your regard is a currency that spends further than my own merits ever could, and I am grateful for it beyond what words can express. Farewell.
XVIII. EPISCOPO EVLALIO ENNODIVS.
Ad quantum me fastigium perduxerit donum spiritalis alloquii,
angustia testaretur, si sermone ualeret ambiri. ad quod
enarrandum idonea non est mentis exilitas nec sufficit oris
egestas. uos enim mei memores extitisse quid aliud computabo
quam peccata superari? memoria uestri omne quod
actuum obscenitas potuit ministrare iam depulit et per sudum
respicere supernum munus indulsit. domine mi, salutationis
obsequia decenter inpertiens deum rogo; ut cirea paruitatem
meam illa anima., ia. qua omne quod deus mandat exuberat,
dignationem pollicitam sine aliqua procuret inminutione seruare.
quam rem ex arbitrio mihi contingere frequentium declarate
testimonio litterarum.
1 presentium B adibere L post ras bene natum L
TV 3 offitio V 5 releuari (u eras.) L procurer B in
Mg . add. mi BT, mihi LV seruitatem (u poet t yn ras.)
11 7 omittis T1...
XVIII. 1Q Ennodius Eulalio episcopo Sirm . 12 angustiam
B 14 extetisse B, ex|extitisse L 16 act*um L 17 mi
T, mihi BL V salutationes L1T1T 19 meam. B 8. t
30 pollicitam s. a. proeuret T in ras. m. 2. immutatione V (uta
m inu corr. m. 1), imitatione B\' 21 mihi T in ras. tn . 2
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To:Eulalius, bishop
Date:~507 AD
Context:A letter of deference to Bishop Eulalius, expressing wonder at the height to which Eulalius's friendship has raised Ennodius's standing.
To Bishop Eulalius, from Ennodius.
To what a height your friendship has raised me! The honor of your attention lifts a man of my modest station to a prominence I could never have achieved on my own.
I do not say this as mere flattery — I say it as a man who understands the social arithmetic of our world. Your regard is a currency that spends further than my own merits ever could, and I am grateful for it beyond what words can express. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.