Letter 1070: You may be surprised that I'm recommending a bishop.

You may perhaps wonder that a bishop is recommended by me. It was no party allegiance that persuaded me to this course, but the cause itself. For Clemens, having discharged the office of a good man, protected Caesarea, which is his native city, once the peace of the greatest emperors had been secured for it. You will have heard by report how much gold, how much silver, both private and public, both sacred and profane, was torn to pieces in Mauretania by the plundering of the enemy during the barbarian rebellion. It came about at that time of upheaval that even a deposit of the treasury was seized by the right of war. This sum the law of the public treasury demanded back from the leading men of the city, whom flight had left as survivors. A wretched and bitter condition it would have been, had not the justice of the times been moved by the diligence of Clemens, who, I should say, served no less the good name of the age than the security of the citizens. For what but ill will would the treasury reap, if its wealth were demanded from a destitute council-house? You have the sequence of the matter. As for what remains, strive that the favorable breath of your good wishes may set sail for what has been obtained.

Commendari a me episcopum forte mireris. cansa istnd mihi non secta persuasit. nam Clemens boni viri fimctns officinm Caesaream, qnae illi patria est, conciliata ma- ximomm principnm pace tntatns est. fando acceperas, rebellione barbarica qnot anri, quot argenti, privati et pnblici, sacri et profani Maur^niae fuit direptione hostium u lancinatnm. evenit ea tempestate, ut etiam fisci depositum belli inre raperetnr. quod 2 a summatibns civitatis, quos reliqnos fuga fecerat, ius aerarii reposcebat. misera et acerba condicio, nisi iustitiam tempomm Clementis cnra movisse^, qnem ego non minus famae saecnli qnam civium secnritati dixerim commodasse. qnid enim praeter invidiam referret aerarinm, si opes ab inopi cnria poscerentur? habes ordinem rei. quod restat 30 enitere, nt voti tni adspiratio vela faciat impetratis. 3 proxime P 1 m. 7 expHclt ad probnm incipit ad ceUinum titlanam fratrem P, ef, p, 32 v, 25 explic ad titianum ger- mannm suom P, om, VM 9 symmacus ceUino fratri P, om, VM 12 adceleris P 1 m, nem barbaricam V quod auri quod PV(r) 24 et publici] eyo, aut publici PVAf manrita- niae PFAf 25 flsci] VFM, tttel P / m., fldei P 2 m, 26 ius] uis P J m, V 27 aeerua PV conditio PVM elemeutis P 1 m, V 2 m, (f^) moaisset et PV 30 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE LXV (LVnn) a. 380?