Letter 4014: My friend Gaudentius has taken refuge in your protection -- a man who deserves to be loved in every respect.
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus→Minervius and Alexander|c. 372 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
friendship
From: Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Roman Senator
To: Minervius (multiple short letters)
Date: ~372-399 AD
Context: Several brief recommendation letters to Minervius, including endorsements of friends and a note about his son Flavianus.
My friend Gaudentius has taken refuge in your protection -- a man who deserves to be loved in every respect. He is of senatorial family, and his character and modesty are nobler than his distinguished birth. If you do not think my testimony is tainted by mere flattery, take him under your wing. A long inspection of his loyal service will make you conclude that I have actually understated his qualities.
---
To Minervius (~398 AD): Love my lord and son Flavianus [Virius Nicomachus Flavianus the Younger, a prominent Roman senator] as much as you can guess I want you to, and if possible, enter into a contest with me over which of us loves him more. I will be glad if you win. But I will only believe it when he himself begins to honor you beyond the measure of my own devotion. For if friendship rests on mutual services, it will be easy to gauge your heart by his.
---
To Minervius (~398-399 AD): If you consider how rare innocent men are, you will love my son Desiderius, who deserves to be counted among that select few. You will conclude that my judgment of him is not mistaken once he comes before your scrutiny. In the meantime, I ask that through me the inner sanctuary of your friendship be opened to him, and that you lend a sympathetic ear when he presents the just merits of his case. If you do well by him, my own word will be redeemed -- for I have taken upon myself the promise of your generosity toward him.
---
To Minervius: In settling the matter of our friend Rusticus, I presented the request to you, but my son Caecilianus did the actual work. It would not be right for me to claim credit for someone else's labor. Let us both give thanks to the man himself: your authority ordered the action, but my health could not carry it out.
Gaudentius amicus meus in gremium patrocinii tui confugit, vir omnibus rebus
amari dignus. genus ei senatorium est, mens et modestia origine sua ac stirpe nobi-
lior. si fuco gratiae infectum testimonium meum non putas, suscipe diligendum. longa 5
obsequiorum eius faciet inspectio, ut me iudices minora dixisse.
XXXVmi a. 398.
AD MINERVIVM.
Ama Flavianum dominum et filium meum , quantum me velle interpretaris , et si
fieri potest, certamen mecum de amore eius ingredere. gaudebo, si viceris. sed hoc 10
mihi tunc ,proba&/tur, cum et ipse te colere supra mensuram diligentiae meae coeperit.
nam si amicitia de mutuis constat officiis, fadle erit, ut ex illius animo tuum metiar.
XXXX a. 398—399.
AD MINERVIVM.
Si consideres, quanta sit innocentium raritas, amabis Desiderium filium meum in i&
paucorum electione numerandum. de quo non falli iudicium meum statues, cnm in
examen tuum venerit. interim quaeso, ut illi per me amicitiae tuae sacrarium reclu-
datur, et praestes aurem benignam causarum suarum iusta narranti. si qnid in eum
bene consulueris, absolvetur fides mea, quae apud illum spem beneficientiae tuae in
se recepit. 2«
XXXXI.
AD MINERVIVM.
In absolvendo Rustico nostro yotum tibi detnli, opem filius meus Caecilianus ex-
bibuit. non est igitur verecundiae meae rapere gratiam laboris alieni. ambo ipsi
acceptum feramus, quod agi tua cura praecepit, exequi mea yaletudo non potuit. 25
XXXXn a. 397—402.
◆
From:Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Roman Senator
To:Minervius (multiple short letters)
Date:~372-399 AD
Context:Several brief recommendation letters to Minervius, including endorsements of friends and a note about his son Flavianus.
My friend Gaudentius has taken refuge in your protection -- a man who deserves to be loved in every respect. He is of senatorial family, and his character and modesty are nobler than his distinguished birth. If you do not think my testimony is tainted by mere flattery, take him under your wing. A long inspection of his loyal service will make you conclude that I have actually understated his qualities.
---
To Minervius (~398 AD): Love my lord and son Flavianus [Virius Nicomachus Flavianus the Younger, a prominent Roman senator] as much as you can guess I want you to, and if possible, enter into a contest with me over which of us loves him more. I will be glad if you win. But I will only believe it when he himself begins to honor you beyond the measure of my own devotion. For if friendship rests on mutual services, it will be easy to gauge your heart by his.
---
To Minervius (~398-399 AD): If you consider how rare innocent men are, you will love my son Desiderius, who deserves to be counted among that select few. You will conclude that my judgment of him is not mistaken once he comes before your scrutiny. In the meantime, I ask that through me the inner sanctuary of your friendship be opened to him, and that you lend a sympathetic ear when he presents the just merits of his case. If you do well by him, my own word will be redeemed -- for I have taken upon myself the promise of your generosity toward him.
---
To Minervius: In settling the matter of our friend Rusticus, I presented the request to you, but my son Caecilianus did the actual work. It would not be right for me to claim credit for someone else's labor. Let us both give thanks to the man himself: your authority ordered the action, but my health could not carry it out.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.