...your delight prompted a letter written in high spirits. A jubilant heart can't help showing itself off. May the gods' favor reward you for such great affection toward me. Since I know I can never adequately repay the debt, I pray that heaven's protection serve as your reward.
TO SEVERUS:
Your letters are always welcome, but this time the reader's heart was lifted to special heights.
itidem om. F me parem F^ 21 uale add. FPi.2
216 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
PV dium praestiterunt. hine factum est, ut epistulam laetus emitteres. exultans quippe
animus gloriatur et ostentatione sui non potest abstinere. pro tanto igitur in nos
amore deorum te benignitas muneretur. etenim eum ipse me non esse solvendo
[dignum] arbitrer, ad vicem meae gratiae favorem tibi praesidii eaelestis exopto.
VI. . 5
AD SEVERVM.
Gratae sunt quidem semper ' litterae tuae ; nunc auteni legentis animum momor-
derunt, cum te indicarent morbi diutumitate macerari. quaeso custodes bonorum,
P valetudini tuae medicas applicent manus, ne optimi senatoris longa vexatio | fidem
faciat, nihil curare caelestes. a qua ego opinione dissentio, teque protinus ope salu- lo
tarium potestatam solidae sanitati praesumo reddendam , si modo ipse plenus spei
ladis cogitationibus elucteris adversa.
VII.
AD CAPREOLVM.
PV Adventante Euscio speravi | litteras tuas, sed fiduciam casus fefellit; ego tamen is
silentii tui imitator esse non potui. quare^ indebitis fungor alloquiis, ut qui praesul
huius officii esse debueras, exempli necessitate ad diligentiam provoceris.
VIII.
AD EVSEBIVM.
Fuerit verecundiae tuae, quod nihil hactenus nobis adloquii detulisti. nunc sume 20
fiduciam, quam tibi ad invitamentum familiaritatis ingerimus, et gratas tibi fuisse
litteras meas sermonis adsiduitate testare.
VIIII.
◆
...your delight prompted a letter written in high spirits. A jubilant heart can't help showing itself off. May the gods' favor reward you for such great affection toward me. Since I know I can never adequately repay the debt, I pray that heaven's protection serve as your reward.
TO SEVERUS:
Your letters are always welcome, but this time the reader's heart was lifted to special heights.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.