Letter 7010: Having performed the duty of a persistent creditor, I now call in the debt of a promise.

Ennodius of PaviaFlorus|c. 501 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
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From: Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia
To: Florus and Decoratus
Date: ~501 AD
Context: A follow-up letter to two friends, pressing them to fulfill a promise — possibly related to practical assistance or a letter they owed.

Ennodius to Florus and Decoratus.

Having performed the duty of a persistent creditor, I now call in the debt of a promise. You know what was pledged; I know what was owed. The time has come to settle the account.

I do not say this to reproach you — only to remind you that a promise made between friends carries a weight that mere politeness does not excuse. Fulfill it, and we are even. Delay it further, and I will be forced to write again — which, as you know, I am perfectly willing to do.

I send you my greetings and my expectation of a reply. Farewell.

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

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