Letter 592: This man Firmus is a concern to my mother, and a concern to me on her account.
To Clematius. (357 AD)
This man Firmus is a concern to my mother, and a concern to me on her account. It would be reasonable for you too to take an interest in him, for both our sakes.
Firmus is wellborn but poor, having been reduced to poverty by the troubles in Palestine. He bears his poverty with dignity and has no desire for wealth — he only wishes you to know that we care about him.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Κληματίῳ. (357)
Φίρμου τουτουὶ μέλει μὲν τῇ μητρί μου, μέλει δὲ καἰ
ἐμοὶ διὰ τὴν μητέρα. καὶ σοὶ δ’ ἂν εἰκότως ἀμφοῖν εἵνεκα
μέλοι.
ἔστι δὲ ὁ Φίρμος εὐγενής τε καὶ πένης ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν
Παλαιστίνῃ κακῶν εἰς πενίαν ἐλθών. φέρων δὲ τὴν πενίαν
καὶ χρημάτων οὐκ ἐπιθυμῶν ἐπιθυμεῖ γνῶναί σε τοῦθ’, ὅτι
ἡμῖν αὐτοῦ μέλει.
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