Letter 5060: To the excellent Bonosus -- who, after completing his palatine military service, has demonstrated his integrity...

From: Quintus Aurelius Symmachus To: [Unnamed correspondent] Date: ~392 AD Context: A detailed recommendation for Bonosus, praising his integrity in both military and civilian service. To the excellent Bonosus -- who, after completing his palatine military service, has demonstrated his integrity through the double test of administration -- I offer my warmest commendation. A man who has served well in both military and civil capacities has proven himself twice over. Bonosus belongs to that rare class of public servants who treat government property as sacred and whose accounts always balance. I ask you to receive him with the honor his career deserves and to support him in whatever he now undertakes.

Bonoso optimo viro et post militiam palatinam gemina administrationis integritate conspicuo discussionem pontis ac basilicae novae praeceptio augusta maudavit; quod munus summa fide et vigilantia possit implere, si solus istiusmodi examinis ius ha- 20 beret. nam Cyriades v. c. comes et mechanicus, qui dudum impensas operis utrius- que tractavit, in societatem discussionis admissns [est] saepe, nt dicitur, a Bonosi 2 optimi viri investigatione dissentit. hinc fit, ut inquisitio, quae per unum strenue posset agitari, artificio quodam interpositi certaminis diflferatur; atqne ideo metnit vir honestns Bonosus, ne sibi invidiae sit, quod tanti negotii adhuc nntat effectus. qua- 25 propter orat, ut si quis est, qui v. c. C^niadem putat eius operis, quod idem Cyriades ante curavit, etiam discussorem esse debere, sibi haec molestia detrahatnr; si vero ipse huic negotio videtur adcommodus, ad se tantum disquisitionis summa pertineat. 3 ergo amore reipublicae, cuius utilitates inter praecipua et prima conplecteris, clarissimo et inlustri viro praefecto dignare confeiTC, quatenns lacuna tantornm sumptuum 30 remotis contentionibns detegatur. spero enim fore, nt cessantibus novis expensionibus utrinsque operis perfectioni usurpatornm summa sufficiat. tissimorum P 2 m., iniunxeras ut n^gotium lectissimorum Af, mppU: negotium dedisti, ut processus lectissi- morum iuuenum vel simile quid ticiani VM eipidi P 2 m//i P 4 quarum V t m.^ quia M poiidi P 1 m. 14 qui] quid V tibi beneflciii»que] PF^ tibi beneflciis F, foH. scrih, qui tibi beiie- flcii instar usque debebit cyriades PV, panchiriades Af, cum cyriades F operas P 22 est del, lurettM 23 stren- uue V 25 qua pporat V, qua in ro petit M 28 adsentatum V, ad se unum M 30 dignare conferre PVMy aupple: dignare adstruere, eatenus necessarias in aedificationem expensas flscum debere con- ferre, quatenus et q, s. vel Bimile quid 31 contentionibus] Af, intentionibus PV iiobis P l m. V 32 Bequitur in M epist. 98 LXXVn (LXXV).