Letter 7031: You always claim you put my interests above your own.
You always claim you put my interests above your own. That would be easier to believe if you'd let my son Attalus come home to me. He's under your influence and follows your guidance -- I agree that's as it should be. But don't extend your authority at my expense.
Isn't it enough that you -- equally delightful company -- have abandoned me and denied me the joy of your presence? On top of that, you're keeping a second hostage with all the arts of affectionate persuasion, guessing, I think, that if both of you are there, I'll come running. You're right.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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