Your letter was delivered to me while I was staying at the seventh milestone on the Via Ostiensis [the road from Rome to its port city of Ostia]. I immediately arranged through the distinguished vicarius [deputy prefect] to have the official records released at my request. But your servant left the city without my knowledge or permission — slaves are all too familiar with that kind of insolence. It's up to you whether you let it go unpunished. Meanwhile, he didn't fail to mention that my daughter has had a relapse of illness. That news struck deep into my heart, and my fear won't be relieved until I receive written confirmation of her recovery. I beg you, then, to send me reassurance at once, so that good news may quickly replace my dread. Farewell.
Tamquam adhuc negotiorum vestrorum nescii agendis rebus formulas praefinitis. lo
at ego unanimitati vestrae utriusque exitum causae iampridem retexui, et credo in
manus vestras per milites vicarianos delata, quae scripseram. merito enarrata et con-
perta non repeto; hoc solum etiam nunc notitiae vestrae ostentationis pudore sub-
traxeram, misisse me necessarias litteras, quibus amici de tutoris fraudibus instruantur,
2 et puto, si fors inceptum iuvet, decemendum aliquid, quo frangatur obnoxius. quod i^
vero iter ad proxima urbi praedia distulistis, quamquam vestri cupientissimus inpro-
bare non possum. allegastis enim piam causam morarum, atque ideo desiderio meo
necessitatem religiosae adfectationis antefero. haud scio, an morantibus vobis aliqua
invitatio nos potius in Campaniam possit educere. sed hoc relinquatur eventui; nos
interim mutua desideria scriptione foveamus. solaciis enim leniendus est animus, quo- 20
tiens protelantur optata. vale.
VU a. 397.
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Your letter was delivered to me while I was staying at the seventh milestone on the Via Ostiensis [the road from Rome to its port city of Ostia]. I immediately arranged through the distinguished vicarius [deputy prefect] to have the official records released at my request. But your servant left the city without my knowledge or permission — slaves are all too familiar with that kind of insolence. It's up to you whether you let it go unpunished. Meanwhile, he didn't fail to mention that my daughter has had a relapse of illness. That news struck deep into my heart, and my fear won't be relieved until I receive written confirmation of her recovery. I beg you, then, to send me reassurance at once, so that good news may quickly replace my dread. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.