Letter 5018: I was glad — genuinely glad — to learn that you have begun to preside over the city of the Aedui [Autun].
Sidonius to his friend Attalus.
I was glad — genuinely glad — to learn that you have begun to preside over the city of the Aedui [Autun]. My joy is fourfold: first, because you are my friend; second, because you are just; third, because you are firm; fourth, because you are nearby. All of which means that you are in a position to render the greatest assistance to our affairs and those of our people, both in your desire and in your ability to do so. Embracing the new authority of your recently acquired office alongside our old friendship, I have long been looking for an occasion to draw on your generosity. And I want you to know how much I trust in it: even if I cannot find anything to ask for, I rather expect you to find something to give. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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