Letter 6042: My first concern is always to ask how your health stands.

My first concern is always to ask how your health stands. Everything else comes second -- though you did recently raise some questions that deserve answers. The city is rattled by grave omens, and I'll skip the minor ones. The most alarming was this: on the anniversary of Rome's founding, the replacement consul was thrown from his chariot by his own runaway horses -- the very team that was pulling the triumphal car. So there he was, draped in his embroidered toga and full consular regalia, hauled off with a broken leg. The whole episode upset me, so I'll keep it brief. As for you, my pride and joy: your reputation grows stronger by the day, both at home and abroad. I can vouch for what's happening here; as for opinions elsewhere, Caecilianus brought me a full account, though listing his reports one by one would be tedious -- they all add up to glory for you. Please give my greetings to my dear daughter and the sweetest grandchildren. She had asked me, very properly, to remind her about the ceremonial garments being woven for the games. She'll find the details in the attached note about what still needs to be prepared to supplement the praetorian gifts.

Prima mihi voluptas est sciscitari, quem statum sanitatis habeatis, in secundis 20 reliqua conlocabo, quae dudum requirenda duxistis. gravibus civitas sollicitatur osten- tis, quorum leviora praetereo; illud ante omnia interpretatio tristis horrescit, quod natali urbis sufiFectum consulem currus, quo vehebatur, evolvit per ferociam bigarum, quae triumphum vehebant. itaque palmata amictns et consulari insignis omatu, fracto crure sublatus est. offendit me infausta narratio, atque ideo in hac expositione ser- 25 2 vabo brevitatem. tibi in dies singulos, decus nostrum, domi forisque fama florentior est. et praesentium quidem rerum nos testes snmus; extema iudicia Caecilianus ad- seruit, a quo singillatim relata enumerare fastidium , cum in summam gloriae tuae cuncta conveniant. domnam filiam meam salutatam cum dulcissimis nepotibus volo; quae de contexendis in apparatum ludorum vestibus religiose a nobis voluit commo- 30 neri. sciet igitur ex subditis, quid in supplementum praetoriae largitatis oporteat praeparari. ■ habe////// P 21 reliqua] (/7), r///qua P dudum requirenda] {17 \ du///////////// P sollici- tatur] (77), s////////tur P 22 praetereo illud] (/7), pt////illu/ P ho/resc/t P 26 florentio P I m. 28 relate numerare P I m. est post fastidium itu^er. P 2 m, 29 salutam P l m. // /gitur P 8Upplifn/um P l m. XXXXI (XXXXII .