Letter 3015: You will perhaps accuse me of an excessively long silence.

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 372 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
illnesstravel mobility

You will perhaps accuse me of an excessively long silence. Do not attribute the delay to negligence — the unbroken length of my journey prevented me from writing. I have finally reached the shore at Formiae [a resort town south of Rome], which would be all the more pleasant if we could enjoy its delights together. But since your years and health do not permit it, I ask at least that you tell me by letter how much vigor you have recovered. I have no doubt that your self-discipline and all the other safeguards of a well-managed old age are firmly in place. Farewell.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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