Letter 3022: You possess such an abundance of eloquence that you earn pardon for your previous silence through the excellence of...

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 376 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
education booksimperial politicsmonasticism

You possess such an abundance of eloquence that you earn pardon for your previous silence through the excellence of your present letter. For what part of your writing was lacking in wise invention, fresh ideas, or the charm of expression? You have proven that silence, when broken by such a letter, can itself become a kind of praise — for the result was worth the wait.

I am grateful beyond words and beg you: do not return to your old habit of reticence. Let this letter be the beginning of a regular exchange, not a solitary miracle. Farewell.

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

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