Letter 2066: Outstanding merits require no supporting witness, since virtue, conspicuous in its own light, rejects the aid of...
Outstanding merits require no supporting witness, since virtue, conspicuous in its own light, rejects the aid of another's recommendation. Therefore, since our lord and brother Licinius has been made famous by the governance of the state conducted according to the standards of ancient discipline, what can my letter add to his reputation? And yet, it is worth noting that we live in an age when such men are rare enough that they deserve to be celebrated. I commend him to you not because he needs it but because the recognition of merit is itself a duty.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Adstipulatorem praeclara merita non requirunt; siquidem virtus sua luce con-
spicua aversatur auxilium commendationis alienae. ergo cum dominum et fratrem meum
Licinium celebrem fecerit ad normam veteris disciplinae gubemata res publica, quid
potest ei dignitatis adicere privata laudatio? hac igitur prae/ermissa parte optimae in
amicos fidei ac diligentiae vimm praecelso animo tuo opto sociare ; non quod iudicium 30
tuum serunT atque difficile sit ad colligenda ingenia et explorandas voluntates bono-
mm, sed ne brevis iuter vos usus et festinata discessio neget iustum tempus examini.
3 de te] r, Uete P
que] P, ac (T)
LXVI (LXV) ante a. 395.
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