Letter 3023: Among friends who both love and hold the power to act, a good word carries its greatest weight.

Ennodius of PaviaMarcellianus|c. 511 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendship
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Marcellianus
Date: ~512 AD
Context: A letter of commendation, arguing that among those who both love and hold power, a good recommendation goes furthest.

Ennodius to Marcellianus.

Among friends who both love and hold the power to act, a good word carries its greatest weight. I commend to you a cause that deserves your favorable attention, trusting that your affection for me and your commitment to justice will work together on its behalf. Farewell.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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