Letter 7006: I've just received the letter I'd been hoping for, and it showed both the devotion of your spirit and the progress...

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 368 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus|AI-assisted
education books

I've just received the letter I'd been hoping for, and it showed both the devotion of your spirit and the progress of your intellect. The only thing that didn't satisfy a father's longing was its brevity. I mention this so you'll understand how much pleasure your writing gave me -- since I'm complaining there wasn't enough of it. Who ever wishes for satisfaction except in things that are good?

From now on, write more generously, my light, so that the reader's mind may be fully nourished by the richness of your pen. Farewell.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.

Latin / Greek Original

10

Desideratas proxime amabilitatis tuae litteras sumpsi, quibus indicabatur et sedu-
litas animi tui' et profectus ingenii. sola epistulae brevitas nequaquam paterno desi-
derio satisfecit. quod eo scribo, ut intellegas, quantum ex sermone tuo ceperim vo-
luptatis, qui queror cjpiam defuisse. quis enim optet satietatem nisi rerum bonarumf
posthac igitur indulgentius scribe, lux raea, ut pleniore stili tui munere legentis ani- is
mus expleatur. vale.

VII a. 400.

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