Letter 4031: When I departed, you entrusted me with a responsibility befitting our friendship: not to keep silent about matters...

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 381 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
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When I departed, you entrusted me with a responsibility befitting our friendship: not to keep silent about matters affecting your reputation and your projects. The occasion now requires me to fulfill that charge. I see that the construction of both the basilica and the bridge is moving forward, though the accounts need closer scrutiny.

I urge you to maintain firm oversight — for public works invite both praise and criticism, and only rigorous management will ensure that the final result does credit to your name and to the community. Send me your instructions and I will act accordingly. Farewell.

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

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