Letter 5051: The hunt for wild animals testifies to your full and robust health -- no weakling could manage such exertions.

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 389 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
barbarian invasionillness
From: Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
To: [Unnamed correspondent]
Date: ~389 AD
Context: Symmachus reports that the hunt for wild beasts for his games proves that his correspondent's health is robust.

The hunt for wild animals testifies to your full and robust health -- no weakling could manage such exertions. I am therefore reassured about your condition and grateful for your efforts on behalf of our games. The beasts you are collecting will add greatly to the spectacle. Keep up the good work, and know that your contribution will not be forgotten. The people of Rome will owe a debt to your stamina as well as your generosity.

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

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