Letter 8030: Bitter illness has laid me low, and from this bed I write to you with what strength remains.
Ennodius of Pavia→Adeodatus|c. 517 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendshipillness
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Adeodatus, priest
Date: ~518 AD
Context: A letter written during illness — Ennodius mentions bitter sickness that has confined him.
Ennodius to Adeodatus the priest.
Bitter illness has laid me low, and from this bed I write to you with what strength remains. The body is weak, but the spirit — bolstered by faith and friendship — refuses to surrender.
Pray for my recovery. And know that even in sickness, the desire to maintain our correspondence has not diminished. Farewell.
XXX. ENNODIVS ADEODATO PRESBVTERO.
Acerbo aegritudinis inpetu et ualida febrium nimietate contritus,
cum ut fidem ueteris testimonii Christus noster in me
quod in Lazaro fecerat ostendisset et euangelii fidem praesentibus
declararet exemplis, litteras uestras accepi. ordinauit ille qui
potuit, ut diebus quibus uitam restituerat amicorum quoque
suorum eam et confirmaret et fulciret alloquiis. de uersibus,
unde tibi portentum illud dixit, risum mihi stulta iudicia
fecerunt. scias illos in summo pretio apud domnum habitos,
quamuis in temporis angustia et ueredarii transcursione conscriptos.
sed si eos non scripsisti, nec facias. mihi sufficit, dum
feci, uota conplesse. nunc ad eam partem me confero, quae
specialiter a sanctis poscenda est, ut pro aegro et amante
6 Matth. 7; 6
1 dUit-l. 9 conuerte om. T 2 domnus] dom B particibus
Ll 3 lederetur B, laederentur LP1 V faleucio LV, falicio
B 4 siUaba B, sylla LV occasionem L1 5 et B, om.
LPVb 8 aliquid] se B, rem fort . 9 de om. b et Birm .
XXX. Incipit extrema pars epistolarum ennodii inscr. T(recetm6
wr. 469) 11 ennodins om. T presbitero B 12 nimitate
X* 13 ut m ad corr. T m . 2 (aine causa, nam at fidem pro ut
fides esset duxisse uidetur) 17 eam] amet B confinnaueret
B et om. B aloquiis B 19 praecio B habitus B
20 neredarii scripsi (cf. p. 194,25), uiridarii BLPТ2Vb, uiridiarii T1
conscribtus B 21 non s.] conscribsisti B sufficet B 23 a
Bb, om. LPTV amantem B
adtentius ores et, si mereor, crebra mihi et instructionis et
consolationis praestes alloquia.
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To:Adeodatus, priest
Date:~518 AD
Context:A letter written during illness — Ennodius mentions bitter sickness that has confined him.
Ennodius to Adeodatus the priest.
Bitter illness has laid me low, and from this bed I write to you with what strength remains. The body is weak, but the spirit — bolstered by faith and friendship — refuses to surrender.
Pray for my recovery. And know that even in sickness, the desire to maintain our correspondence has not diminished. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.