Letter 9017: The faith of reputation is not lame when it rests on the testimony of trustworthy witnesses.
Ennodius of Pavia→Apodemia|c. 507 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
barbarian invasionwomen
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Apodemia [a woman]
Date: ~506 AD
Context: A letter arguing that the faith placed in a person's good reputation is not misguided — Ennodius defends the reliability of hearsay when it comes from trustworthy sources.
Ennodius to Apodemia.
The faith of reputation is not lame when it rests on the testimony of trustworthy witnesses. What people say about you is confirmed by what I have seen, and the report matches the reality.
I write to encourage you: continue in the path that has earned you this good name, and do not doubt that the world sees what God has done in you. Farewell.
XVII. ENNODIVS APODEMIAE.
Non clauda fides est opinionis antiquae, quae perhibet quod
propinquitas generis non defrudetur longinquitate regionis.
manent familiarum suis iura cardinibus nec quae sunt diuisa
habitaculis dissociantur animabus: percurrit aetherius uigor,
ubicumque carnis cognatione producitur, et illa caelestis portio
unius patriae non continetur angustiis. sic tu, domna mea,
XVI. 4 itenera B depraehendi B 6 dihoscorus B
8 suscipiens L Faustam] Paulum Sirm . 12 mihi///| B
I
13 m T, mihi BLV 16 promisistes B
XVII. 21 apoemie T 22 clada B1 est om . Sirm.
antique B 23 non d. 1. regionie om. L add. in mg . defraudetur
P2T 25 habiculis B ethereus T 26 productor B
27 unus B1
longe a corpore degentem Ennodium perquisisti, efferendo
desideratis nobile munus aspectibus. accepi cucullam qualem
debuit dirigere religionem profitenti sanctissima. ora, ut dignum
me humilium indumentis etsi non inuenerunt dona uestra,
tamen meriti sui nobilitate perficiant. domina mi, salutem
largissimam dicens rogo, ut crebro me uenerandis releuetis
alloquiis. laenam et racanas cuius uos uolueritis coloris rubei
aut fused mihi sub celeritate dirigite.
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From:Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To:Apodemia [a woman]
Date:~506 AD
Context:A letter arguing that the faith placed in a person's good reputation is not misguided — Ennodius defends the reliability of hearsay when it comes from trustworthy sources.
Ennodius to Apodemia.
The faith of reputation is not lame when it rests on the testimony of trustworthy witnesses. What people say about you is confirmed by what I have seen, and the report matches the reality.
I write to encourage you: continue in the path that has earned you this good name, and do not doubt that the world sees what God has done in you. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.