Letter 1061: I know you're advising me out of genuine love.

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 393 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus|AI-assisted
diplomaticfriendship

I know you're advising me out of genuine love. But a reconciliation requires its author to be the one who caused the unjust falling-out. Otherwise, the injured party looks like he's forgotten the harm done to him, patching things up as if nothing happened.

So I don't refuse the offered peace — but let the one who caused the offense restore the relationship, with due consideration for what happened.

As for you, I'm deeply grateful, as our friendship warrants: your efforts will serve the public good. I'll say less about that for now — a matter that concerns everyone is never content with a single witness, and I must be careful to celebrate your achievements without seeming to have forgotten my own modesty. Farewell.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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

Scio gennani amoris esse, qnod suades. sed reconciliatio enm reqnirit anctorem,
quem babnit ininsta dissensio, ne noxam memisse yideatnr, qni abiuratas amicitias
s qnasi nihil passns adfectat. qnare oblatam concordiam non refnto , sed sequestrata
consideratione fortunae redeat in gratiam, qni movit offensam. tibi pro nostra amicitia
satis gratnlor, cnins labor salnti pnblicae commodabit. de qno interim parcins loqnar;
res enim, qnae ad omnes pertinet, nnmqnam nno teste contenta est, et mihi magno-
pere oonyenit ita meminisse gloriae tnae, ne verecnndiae oblitns existimer. vale.

Related Letters