Letter 7059: I believe my letter reached you some time ago, explaining that my friend Iucundus, though eager for your judgment,...
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus→Messalam|c. 392 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
illnesstravel mobility
I believe my letter reached you some time ago, explaining that my friend Iucundus, though eager for your judgment, cannot travel on account of his health. His illness worsens by the day, and I'm repeating my request so that he doesn't incur the suspicion of defiance when he deserves compassion.
The case would lose nothing if you transferred the hearing to your deputy. The sick man would be spared the hardship, and the matter would still reach its conclusion. Farewell.
lamdudum litteras meas in manus tuas credo perlatas , quibus allegavi , quod
iudiciis adprobatum est, amicum meum lucundum quamquam tui examinis cupidum
per valetudinem non posse proficisci. huius in dies morbus augescit, et ideo repeto
postulatum, ne incidat invidiam contumaciae, qui miserationem meretur. et sane ci-
25 vili causae nihil decerpet humanitas , si ad vicarium vestrum transferatis examen.
nam pariter et laboranti detrahetur iniuria et negotio finis eveniet.
LXXXX (LXXXVim) a. 399.
AD MESSALAM.
Probavit effectus non inmerito a me sperata, quae praestare dignatus es, magis-
30 que me culpam potuisse contrahere , si apud amantem praetorias pignoris nostri ne-
quendam V 13 recepit V 14 religiosi debitum PVy religlonis debitum FM, scribe: religiosi fenoHs
debitum vel aimUe quid 15 his PVMF 17 auctor V, om. M
cerpet] VAf, dccerpit (11), periii in P humanitas si ad] VM(IT)y periit in P nostrum V trans-
feratis examen] VM, transferatur examen (17), tr//////y ///////// P 26 et pari post pariter inser. V la-
boranti detrahetur iniuria] VM(n), \A\)OTti///////////////\ur\a^ P eueniot] VAf(/7), eue//// P
ma////// P 30 apu/ P
' Q. AvRKLrva Stmmachvs. 2H
202 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
PVM cessitates pudore tacuiBseni. oraari ergo nos gaudeo frequentibus amoris tui testi-
moniis, et volo speres, quidquid gratiae editio nostra quaesiyerit, ad tua beneficia
me cedente referendum.
LXXXXI (LXXXX) a. 399.
◆
I believe my letter reached you some time ago, explaining that my friend Iucundus, though eager for your judgment, cannot travel on account of his health. His illness worsens by the day, and I'm repeating my request so that he doesn't incur the suspicion of defiance when he deserves compassion.
The case would lose nothing if you transferred the hearing to your deputy. The sick man would be spared the hardship, and the matter would still reach its conclusion. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.