Letter 8026: My silence shouldn't be held against me.
My silence shouldn't be held against me. The customary exchange of friendly duties is neglected in times of trouble. But since there's hope that my son Symmachus is gradually returning to health, I pick up my pen again with cautious optimism. May the gods grant that my next letter carries firmer news of his recovery. Farewell.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Silentium mihi duci vitio non oportet; familiarium quippe usus officiorum inter 30
adversa neglegitur. sed quia spes datur Symmacho meo integrandae paulatim bonae
4 non] r, nam (/7) sit post dedux ifuerit F 5 ordines] luretw, ordine (Z7) 8 uo-
cauit {U) desidiam me«m] J^, desideria mea (Z7)
quod F3, quo FU« 17 relegere urbi F, aupple: relegere iter in urbi propinqua sinat fortunae] JIF^j
uult nanque F\ om. F^ hoc] fortune hoc det F^ 2 m, 18 scripturis F^ conaentiant] II,
conueniant F uale om. F^
LIBER Vni. VIIII. 235
valetadinis, redit animus ad amicitiae mania, ut si qnem tibi taciturnitas mea metum F
fecerat, sermonis securitas absolvat. vale.
LXXira (LXXIII) .
ANTIOCHO.
5 Certum habeo, nihil te litteris meis antiquius aestimare; nam mihi quoque ea-
dem de tui iprmoTli'? ^"^""^^*«^^ sententia est. merito amicitiae munus adripui; quod
si pari lance reddideris, studium meum incitamento religionis acuetur. vale.
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Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol.