Letter 7061: I feel the affection you think it right to return, but I'm deeply surprised that you suspect my son Flavianus -- who...
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus→Longinianum|c. 393 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
friendship
I feel the affection you think it right to return, but I'm deeply surprised that you suspect my son Flavianus -- who embraces you with equal love -- of being cold in his friendship toward you. If my assurance carries any weight, please let it dispel that belief. Shut out certain people's whispers and hold fast to the constancy that befits your noble character and your bond of friendship.
If some hostile remark has reached your ears, share it with me. I consider it deeply unjust to let suspicion take root between friends when a frank conversation can pull it out. Farewell.
Sentio, quid mihi adfectionis invicem deferre digneris, sed vehementer admiror, i&
quod dominum et filium meum Flavianum, qui te parili amore conplectitur, erga ami-
citiam tuam esse inparem suspiceris. si igitur aliquid in adsertione mea putas esse
gravitatis, guaeso /e, ut huiusmodi persuasionem me adsertore deponas et exclusis aliquo-
rum susurris constantiam serves sanctis moribus tuis et amicitiae congruentem. certe
si quid in notitiam tuam aemulus sermo pervexit, mecum quaeso participes, ut ama- 20
ritudo, quae ex aliorum msimulatione concepta est, fidis purgationibus diluatur.
CI (C).
AD LONGINIANVM.
Sancto Eusebio arbitror pro summa commendatione sufKcere, quod eum mihi pro-
fiteor adprobatum , et ideo verbis pluribus elaborare non debeo , ut ei tuam conciliem 25
4 inde a voce postulatum in P non superaunt nisi haec: 5 . . . bnisti sed 6 . . . opus est conmo . . . peti-
tio — elieere . . . ttit humanitas 5 opus non est F, non est opus M 6 tua om. (H)
deforo V
14 om. VM 16 et] ego, om. PVM parl VM amicitias tuas VM{r) 17 susceperls V,
sustines M 18 quaeso te] ego, uestrae V, uolo M^ oro (i^), «**«««4(««« P me] ne P de-
ponas] VMy «««««««»«««« P 19 constat P amicitia Pl m., amicitias P 2 m, con-
gruentem] VAf, ««««««»««««««« P 20 ^mulus P2m. in spatio vaeuo, e multis V, ex multis M
sermo] VAf, ««««»«*««««« P ut amaritudo] FVM^ *»«««»«««« P 21 quae &l P ^2 m. in $pat, vae.
insimulatione] Lectiwty simulatione PVM contempta V eet fldis P 2 m, in spat. vae. purga-
toribus P
Yolantatem. praesumptam quippe teneo, as, qui mihi fida obsequia detulerunt, favo- PVM
rem tnum minime defuturum. nos ex sententia valemus libenter habituri, si ipse
sospitatis tuae litteras non negaris.
AD PETRONIVM ET PATRVINVM.
5 CU (CI) a. 398. PVMF
Pro eognitis et probatis pauea dicenda sunt; mei enim officii non sui meriti
testimonium ferunt. quapropter laborare non debeo, ut praestantiae vestrae domini
et filii mei Flaviani merita commendem. siquidem vetus inter ros amicitia revertetur
◆
I feel the affection you think it right to return, but I'm deeply surprised that you suspect my son Flavianus -- who embraces you with equal love -- of being cold in his friendship toward you. If my assurance carries any weight, please let it dispel that belief. Shut out certain people's whispers and hold fast to the constancy that befits your noble character and your bond of friendship.
If some hostile remark has reached your ears, share it with me. I consider it deeply unjust to let suspicion take root between friends when a frank conversation can pull it out. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.