Letter 7054: Since a long exchange between us had fallen quiet, I could no longer put off the customary greeting.

From: Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Roman Senator Date: ~395–402 AD Context: Three short letters to friends and family — a greeting, a reply to a surprise letter, and news of the return of his son Faustus. Since a long exchange between us had fallen quiet, I could no longer put off the customary greeting. Your turn to reciprocate — and if the day I'm hoping for arrives, your reply will be medicine for my recovery. TO THE SAME: After sending the page with my greeting, someone arrived just in time with your letter. The joy I felt at your opening words was extraordinary — how much it matters that a letter finds a ready heart to receive it. TO HIS BROTHERS: I sent a letter a little earlier to announce our son Faustus's return, so that swift reassurance might calm the impatience of your longing. But I did not begrudge repeating the greeting of good news as he himself sets out. Take, therefore, a twofold joy: first from his return itself, and then from this brotherly report in which we tell you that our children have been restored to good health.

Subesse aliquas silentio meo causas sponte aestimare potuistis ; nam quando omi- sissem religionis munia, si valerem? nunc paulatim dolore cedente officium saluta- tionis differre non potui. vestri erit muneris referre mutuam vicem, quae mihi, si dies optata pertulerit, ad convalescendum fomenta praestabit. LXXVm (LXXVII) a. 397? 20 PFMF FRATRIBVS. Postquam paginam, quae vobis salutationem ferret, emisi, in tempore adfuit, qui mihi vestras litteras exhiberet. quarum principio perceptione laetatus, ubi commune pignus decubuisse cognovi, conturbatus sum repente amaritudine lectionis. sed quia filium nostrum redditum sanitati subiuncta docuerunt, in tranquillum denuo animus 2s remigravit. meae valetudinis statum scriptis superioribus indicavi, cuius denuo me- minisse non opus est, ne vos soUicitae scriptionis conturbet iteratio. quia] VM[n), iit///////////// P minus P 1 m. 4 huiuBmodi a proflciscentibus] VAf(/7), hulus ///////////iscentibus P inchoetur] egOy inc^oet// P, inchoetis V, inauspicemur M auspicium ego ($ie) uobis VMr{IT), au8pici///////bis P, ergo Leetiua alternandae inter nos] epo, salntandae inte sinos V, salutanda et inter nos P, saluandae uitae si non Af, om, {F) 5 saluta////// P dubitaris F, du- bitas M signo dato] V(77), ////o dato P, dato signo M 6 non] /// P ua» add, V, ualete add. M mero uaque ad finem epiftulae om. P apatio 41/2 verauum vaeuo relieto 11 clypticum M, indypticum V 12 qui quaestorium munus exhibuit {F). uncia ineluai ferre] VMF, deferre P referrl V 19 uale add. V 2 m. Af dit V 27 conturbat V Lxxvini (Lxxvni). FRATRIBVS. PVM De redita filii nostri Fausti praennntias panlo ante litteras misi, ut adcelerata secnritaB desiderii vestri inpatientiam mitigaret, sed munns salutationis iterare ipso 5 etiam proficiscente non piguit. capite igitur geminam voluptatem primo ex ipsius reditu dehinc ex sermone fratemo, quo vobis redditos sanitati communes filios indi- camus. LXXX (LXXVmi).