Letter 6013: Another person's need makes me importunate, because I owe it to those in difficulty to speak on their behalf.

From: Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia To: Avitus Date: ~503 AD Context: A letter of intercession on behalf of someone else's necessity — Ennodius takes on the role of advocate, a function that consumed much of a late antique bishop's or deacon's time. To Avitus, from Ennodius. Another person's need makes me importunate, because I owe it to those in difficulty to speak on their behalf. It is not my own cause I press, but one that deserves a hearing — and I bring it to you because I trust your judgment and your generosity. The details I leave to the bearer, who can explain the circumstances better than a letter allows. What I ask is simply this: hear the case with the fairness that I know you to possess, and act as your conscience directs. I will be grateful for whatever you can do, and so will the one on whose behalf I write. Farewell.

XIII. AVITO ENNODIVS. Inportunum me \'facit aliena necessitas, quia debeo pro deprecante sermonem. lex propositi intercessionis refutat auaritiam. nam ad conscientiae meae sarcinam iungitur, si respuam supplicantem. expectandae memoriae Sabini filius ad diem constitutum sententiam praestolaturus occurrit: sed agellum suum utilitatis consideratione est coactus expetere, quia et fideiussor et exsecutor definita die defuerunt. abiurantem me de praefati negotio ultra uilescere baiulus inpulit, ut ad eum nuntios, quatenus rursus occurreret, destinarem, quod me fecisse significo. nunc salutationis meae dicens obsequia in potestate est culminis uestri, in pradicti causa quid iustitia quam fouetis, quid fiducia quam dedistis mereatur, ostendere. XII. 2 Incip liberio B, Enuodias Liberio Sirm. engeniti B 4 diac B, om. T 6 praefert] preces b 7 archani T alliganda BLb snbpremit B 10 integritas] explic add. B . hanc ejpistvlam in Itbris BLTVb seq ̰ uitur alterum Epist. V 26 repetitae exemplum . XIII. 12 itam auito BLTV 13 importunium T1 fecit V 16 exspectande L 17 praestu.latunis B occurret Bb 18 consideratione Bb, ratione LTV et Sinn . 19 execator Bsb deftnita] defuncta Sirm . 20 uilescere Tb, uiliscere BLV Ut Bb, om. LTV 21 nuntius L, noncius b quatanas Bb, qaatinnB LTV 98 predicti V, praedicto Bb 24 foaetes B ostenderej explic add. B