Letter 4016: A reply would rightly be owed to multiple previous letters.
Ennodius of Pavia→Agapitus|c. 506 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
education books
From: Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia
To: Agapitus
Date: ~505 AD
Context: A letter pressing for a reply to multiple previous communications — Ennodius is nothing if not persistent in his demands for correspondence.
Ennodius to Agapitus.
A reply would rightly be owed to multiple previous letters. I have written; you have not answered. The silence is becoming difficult to explain in any way that does not reflect badly on one of us — and since I know my own intentions are good, the question remains on your side.
I do not accuse; I inquire. Write to me, and let us put this interval behind us. Farewell.
XVI. ENNODIVS AGAPITO.
Iure responsum multiplicibus posceretur alloquiis, si non
ingratas extitisse paginas meas magnitudinis tuae silentium
testaretur. clamat enim taciturnitas uestra garrulum displicere
et nouum uindictae genus, ut opinor. inquirit, quando se non
uidet promouisse, quod siluit. agitis epistolari abstinentia, ne
ab inperitis ad uos scripta mittantur: ademptus tamen est
effectus. prouidentiae uestrae profutura tractate: crebrior factus
sum in scriptione contemptus. sed breuem sermonem decet
exhibere eum, qui magna doluerit. cultorem uestrum fratrem
meum Panfronium epistolaris apud culmen uestrum cura comitatur,
cui quicquid gratiae concessum fuerit me quoque inpensorum
uinculis obligabit, cui etiam aliqua de Vicariae dignitate
suggerenda conmisi. uos petitionem meam ad effectum perducite,
quia adsum partibus meis, quotiens apud emendatissimos hominum
cogor subire testimonium, dum certis exhibeo.
1 abieotum deBet T residuum] al. remedium P in mg. m. alia
2 et ** B 3 sublimissorum B 4 muniui om. T 5 iusta
(a ex c uel cc corr. m. 1) V tribuistis L\'Pb 6 posthabetes
B mihi BL V 7 saluti T\' 8 imperi L; finit add. B
XVI. 10 acapito L 11 poscentur Tl, poscetur L1 13 di-
1
spicere B 14 inquiret B 16 ademtus B 17 affectus Pb
tractare Pb 18 contemtus B 19 uestrum] uero T 20 apnt
T 21 quicquid (quic 8. I. m. 1) V, quidquid B quoquo B
impensarum b, al. IpSafl P in mg. m. alia 22 obligbit L uicariae
(caria in raa.) Y 23 cdmissi L1 25 oertis] al. disertis
P in mg. m. alia elhibeo] finit add. B
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia
To:Agapitus
Date:~505 AD
Context:A letter pressing for a reply to multiple previous communications — Ennodius is nothing if not persistent in his demands for correspondence.
Ennodius to Agapitus.
A reply would rightly be owed to multiple previous letters. I have written; you have not answered. The silence is becoming difficult to explain in any way that does not reflect badly on one of us — and since I know my own intentions are good, the question remains on your side.
I do not accuse; I inquire. Write to me, and let us put this interval behind us. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.