Letter 1106: I see, most distinguished consul, what a heavy obligation your affection places on me.
I see, most distinguished consul, what a heavy obligation your affection places on me. You ask me to come and share in the joy of your magistracy. How can I refuse — unless you forgive me with the same warmth with which you invited me?
What am I to do, caught between competing claims? On one side, I'm drawn to the duties of honoring your consulship. On the other, I'm held back by grief for my lost brother. Two incompatible roles face me at once. How can one face serve two opposite emotions?
So please, with an understanding heart, grant me this release. Let fortunate men attend your chair of office in a happy crowd. Let any friend untouched by fate join your celebrations. But let me be [Text breaks off in source.]
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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