Letter 2015: I took Aurelianus — my protege, who now commands the urban cohorts — into my circle of friends at your suggestion.
I took Aurelianus — my protege, who now commands the urban cohorts — into my circle of friends at your suggestion. So I could hardly refuse him a letter of recommendation that he first earned through you.
And it shouldn't feel like a burden, since you're the one who started it. The young man's petition arises from his father-in-law's misfortune: he's not defending what the man did, but asking that his fall be cushioned.
Do as you always do — look at the petitioner's character. And if the case falls short of strict justice, make allowance for family devotion. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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