Letter 5066: It is an act full of piety that you spontaneously anticipate a brother's wish.

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 395 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
friendshipillness
From: Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
To: [Unnamed correspondent]
Date: ~395 AD
Context: Symmachus praises his friend for spontaneously fulfilling a fraternal duty before being asked.

It is an act full of piety that you spontaneously anticipate a brother's wish. Just recently, your unsolicited generosity has once again demonstrated the warmth of your character. When a friend acts before being asked, the gift is doubled in value -- once for the thing itself and once for the thoughtfulness that prompted it. I am grateful and will look for an opportunity to repay the kindness in equal measure.

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

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