Letter 500.7

Fronto to Gavius Maximus, greetings. 1. Since the dignity that among all old men [...] nor to make use of, and my companionship [...] in my old age, lest [...] our old age, because [...] and the things which [...] but now [...] [...] my lord emperor [...] his shrewdness [...] him [...] I heard [...]. 2. But [...] men [...] excessive [...]. 3. [...] almost [...] who is there [...] or [...] who would not first find fault with what is yours? [The legible thread: no one ought to blame my affection for Niger who is not first prepared to blame your own.] 4. Finally, I had not begun to love Niger on your account, only to cease loving the same man on your account; nor did you begin to esteem me as one handed over to you by Niger. For this reason I beg you: let our friendship not now do us harm, since it has done us no good. And now, if I must speak plainly, I call the gods to witness that I have often seen Niger Censorius weeping copiously out of longing for you and out of grief at this estrangement. 5. But perhaps there will be another occasion on which I may appease you toward his memory and soften you. In the meantime, so that no opening may lie open to ill-disposed men against me at your ears, [...] wrongly enough the loyalty which, since I kept it firm and sincere toward Censorius, I shall assuredly strive all the more to maintain unbroken and uncorrupted with you.

? 154–156 A.D. to Gavius Maximus. . . . . . . . . Grief added to anger upset the man's mental balance . . . . Anger poisoned and ruined his other virtues . . . . But let no one find fault with my love for Niger, who is not prepared to blame yours first. Lastly, I did not begin to love Niger on your account, that I should on your account cease to love him; nor did you begin to have a liking for me through Niger's introduction. Wherefore, I beseech you, let not a friendship now be a hindrance which was never a help to us. Now, if I must say so, let the Gods witness that I have often seen Niger Censorius weeping copiously for want of you and for distress at this dissension. But perhaps I shall have another opportunity of mollifying you and reconciling you to his memory. Meanwhile, lest your ears be open to any attacks by ill-disposed persons on me, I pledge to you my lasting loyalty, which, as I kept it truly and faithfully with Censorius, much more assuredly shall I strive to preserve lasting and unimpaired with you.

ad amicos 2.5 = ad Anton.Pium 7 [165 Hout; 1.258 Haines] <Fronto Gavio Maximo> salutem. 1 Cum gravitatem apud omnes senes . . . . . . tato . . . . . . . . . a ibi . . . neque uti et contubernio meo insa . . . res . . in senectute mea ne . . . e nostra senectus quod . . . . m dis tu n . . . . . at . . . . . . . . . e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . suo m . . . eaque quae . m . . si sed nun . . . . . . . . et puepes . . . . . i an . . . . mo fati n . . . . . . . . . ussi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tiscoen . . . . ese . . . . r . . . . . . . missos per domin . na. . . . . . n . . . fuisset desine . . . . . . . . m . . . . tran . ini . . . . . stesen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s satis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . te verbis . . . . . . . . ns . . . . . domine imperator . . . . . d . . . . r sollertiam vi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eum v . . . vi audi . . . . . . . . ec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . riat aut . s. . . . . . . . . . s . . . . . . . . . . . nios . . . ce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Sed . . . . . . . l . . . . . . . . diae . . . . . . . . . . . . . te hom . . . . . . . . . . . . trat et . . . . . . . tu . en . . . ae ume . d . to . . . . em . . . . . . . . . . . . . n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nimia . . . . . . . . . . . . . e . . . . . . . . . . . se . . nibus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eu . . . . . . . . . . . . e . . . anine . . . . . . . . . . . agsa . . . . . . . . . . . e n . . . . . . . . . . 3 Num . . . . . . . . in . . . . lo fere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . q . . . . . . . . . . . s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m ac . . . . . . . . . . fu . t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sam . . . . . e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . imo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . quis est . . . . . no . . . d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aut a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ednis . . . qui non tuum ante reprehenderit. 4 Postremo neque ego Nigrum propter te amare coeperam, ut propter te eundem amare desinerem, neque tu me a Nigro tibi traditum diligere coepisti. Quamobrem tecum quaeso, ne quid obsit amicitia nobis, quia nihil profuit. Jam si dicendum sit, deos testor me saepe vidisse Nigrum Censorium ubertim flentem desiderio tui atque hujus discidii dolore. 5 Sed erit fortasse tempus aliud, quod ego memoriae ejus placem te ac migitem. Interim, ne quid loci malignis hominibus adversus me apud aures tuas pateat, ll . . soe . . btes perperam satis fidem, quam quom firman et sinceram cum Censorio servaverim, multo magis profecto tecum perpetuam atque incorruptam retinere conitar.