Quintus Aurelius Symmachus→Unknown|c. 397 AD|symmachus
Rufus, the treasurer of the pontifical college, is bringing you the college's formal petition. He's been specifically entrusted with the matter of retaining the Vaganensis estate [a piece of land belonging to the priestly college].
I beg you: make it seem as though your help in this matter were divinely provided. And remember that you hold authority in both orders of priesthood [i.e., civic and religious positions]. Whatever public authority or private initiative demands, please carry it out at our request. The public interest will go a long way toward winning you favor. There you have the summary of our petition. The details will be laid out either in the written memorandum or by Rufus himself — to whom I ask you to give a prompt response.
Rufus pontificalis arcarins prosequitur apud te mandata collegii, cui prae ceteris
retinendi Vaganensis saltus cnra legata est. efGce, oro te, nt ^vinitns videatur ob-
latum tui honoris auxilium, et utrinsque te sacerdotii antistitem recordare. qnidquid
que P 1 m.f anqn^ P i m, ne uastaUone F, nooos taUone P 7 eogite P
11 om. VM symmacos P 12 faotom VMF^ 13 in moribos medici. nam eam primis
nostrac V, in moribus medici. nam id in primis suae Af 14 fata P 1 m. summatis PV aule P 1 m.
1
16 eoenlat VM
LIBEB I. 31
pnblicus vigor aut priyata poscit industria, oratus exeqnere. mnltam in gratiam taam PVM
pnblica ntilitas promovebit. babcB snmmam petitionnm. singnla antem tibi vel com-
monitorii series indicabit vel Kufns expediet, cni matnrnm praestabis effectnm, nt se-
qnestratnm panlisper ofGcinm regressns adripiat. vale.
5 LXVnn (LXm) a. 380.
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Rufus, the treasurer of the pontifical college, is bringing you the college's formal petition. He's been specifically entrusted with the matter of retaining the Vaganensis estate [a piece of land belonging to the priestly college].
I beg you: make it seem as though your help in this matter were divinely provided. And remember that you hold authority in both orders of priesthood [i.e., civic and religious positions]. Whatever public authority or private initiative demands, please carry it out at our request. The public interest will go a long way toward winning you favor. There you have the summary of our petition. The details will be laid out either in the written memorandum or by Rufus himself — to whom I ask you to give a prompt response.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.