[To an unnamed friend] I'm renewing my recommendation of Euscius, not starting one from scratch — when you were in Rome, you willingly took up his cause at my request. Now it's time for you to support my interests through Euscius, whose discretion in handling my affairs will do nothing to harm your own reputation. Farewell.
[To Dionysius] Your reputation for both good character and medical skill has recommended you to me for some time now. Drawn by the praise you receive on both counts, I extend the hand of friendship and invite you freely into our circle. As proof that my regard is genuine, I'm assigning you as instructor to the students I've sent for medical training. Return the pledge of mutual goodwill, then, and take under your teaching those whom I'm entrusting — through Euscius — to your integrity and honor. Farewell.
[To Auxentius] The friendship we began in Rome I now strengthen by letter, so that this token of regard sent to you in absence may assure you of my sincerity. Your attentiveness to me will be demonstrated privately through our correspondence, and publicly through your legal advocacy on Euscius's behalf. Farewell.
[To an unnamed official] The agents of absent landowners, entrusted with distant affairs, live as though the laws don't apply to them — since their masters are too far away to instill any fear. What's needed is the firm hand of judicial authority, so that they pay what their leases require. I ask you, then, to support the requests of my secretary, whom I've sent to collect what's owed for the praetorian celebration and to recover debts from negligent servants — and to take on a share of my responsibilities in this matter. Farewell.
[To Carterius] On behalf of my son Auxentius, I've taken on the roles of devoted father, eager suitor, and sworn witness all at once. If the weight of all that carries any influence with you, please welcome into your family a young man distinguished in every quality of life and fortune. I stake my personal guarantee on everything a father typically weighs in such matters. Though I know future sons-in-law are judged by character, this young man has, beyond his natural gifts, an estate that more than meets the standard of respectability. I could say much more about him, but the truth doesn't need to be dressed up. So if you consider me a credible advocate, judge the man by my testimony — and please honor with the hand of your daughter the one I'd happily count among my own family. Trust me: when the match goes through, you who are being asked will be no less grateful for my intervention than the young man I'm recommending. Farewell.
[To Pompeianus] You can't accuse me of a long silence — you know I've been at the imperial court until recently. Now that I'm back, I'm performing the honorable duty of sending greetings. Your reply will prove you received my letter gladly. In the meantime, I commend the bearer of this letter — anything you do for his petition will benefit me as well. Farewell.
[To Vincentius] I approve of men who seek your patronage — wanting to attach oneself to virtue shows a spark of wisdom. And so I waste no time in recommending my friend Zenodorus and his admirable intentions, and I introduce him into the inner circle of your household like a priest leading an initiate. Please see to it that my effort and his hopes are promptly met. Farewell.
[To Leporius] Struck hard by fortune's blow, I'm only now setting down these sorrowful words. I couldn't keep away from my duty for long, since the pain of such a wound can never be erased by time. After greeting you, let me also warmly commend my dear friend Silvanus, whom I entrust to your attentiveness. He's taken on the arduous necessity of traveling in order to restore my estates, which makes him all the more deserving of every good person's support.
[Continued] We see no official edict specifying which individuals are liable, and yet the local tax officers and record-keepers are free to exempt some from the burden while imposing unwarranted charges on others. I ask you, therefore, to look into this matter — both for my benefit and for your own credit. The tax assessors are demanding a military recruit levy from my tenants without producing any public documentation to support it. I strongly suspect they've fraudulently added my people to the rolls to cover for themselves or their own clients. It would be right, then, for you to issue a clear directive — whether by edict or official notice — to the provincials, so that the unchecked and arbitrary collection practices of record-keepers and local officials stop being a license for profiteering. Farewell.
Repetenda mihi apud te, non inchoanda est Euscii commendatio; nam cum Ro-
mae ageres, meo precatu in eius snffragium provocatus libenter partes benevolentiae
recepisti. tempus est igitur, ut meas utilitates in Euscio iuves, cuius modestia ita
negotiis nostris aderit, ut famae iudicis nihil deroget. vale. lu
IIII a. 398—401?
AD DIONYSIVM.
lamdudum te mihi et morum et medicinae fama commendat. hortatu igitur lau-
dis utriusque amicitiae tuae manum porrigo et te sponte ad fidem nostrae familiari-
tatis invito. dabit autem tibi iudicii mei non mediocre documentum, quod his, quos 15
erudiendos misimus art^' medicinae, praeceptor adhiberis. repende igitur mihi pignus
mutuae voluntatis et suscipe in discipKnam medendi, quos et fidei tuae et honestati
Euscio tradente committimus. vale.
V a. 398—401 i
AD AVXENTIVM. 20
Amicitias inter nos, cum Romae ageres, inchoatas munere scriptionis adcumulo,
ut fidem tibi animi mei faciat conlati in absentem pignus officii. tuam circa nos di-
ligentiam privatim litterarum vicissitudo, publice forensis pro Euscio cura testabitur.
vale.
VI a. 398—401. 26
Actores absentium, quibus res longinqua committitur, tamquam soluti legibus vi-
vunt, quoniam procul positis nullus dominorum terror incurrit. opus est igitur iudi-
ciali vigore, ut locationibus adscripta persolvant. quare quaeso, ut suggestiones no-
tarii mei, cui adhibenda nonnulla ad praetoriam functionem et debita ab obnoxiis 30
servis eruenda mandavi, iuvare digneris et vicem sollicitudinis meae in curam tuam
recipere non recuses. vale.
ciae F2 3 te] tu (77) 4 mutoam (77)
hiberis (/7) -. . .
26 inicriplionem om, (/"), Ad Garterium (77), fortasae avpplendum: Ad Vincentium, c/*. p. 237, 2, ut
in n idem mendum fuiste sumamua, quod p, 221, 15 27 committitur] /*, remittitur (77) 28 do-
mlnorum] Ritter$hu9iu8f damnoram r[II) 30 fort, adquirenda
vn.
AD CARTERIVM. F
Pro filio meo Auxentio parentis religionem, petitoris ambitum, fidem testis in me
recepi. si qaid igitur tantarom remm auctoritas apud te ponderis habet, admitte
5 quaeso in familiam tuam iuvenem cunctis vitae bonis et fortunae muneribus excultum.
vadem me tibi in omnia spondeo, quae solet parentum soUicitudo trutinare. licet
noverim futuros generos moribus aestimari, attamen huic post omamenta naturae
etiam census ad honestatem redundat. possem de eo copiosius loqui, sed non vult 2
veritas verbis iuvari. quare si tibi videor non inanis adsertor. perpende hominem de
10 testimonio meo et ei, quem pignoribus meis libenter adnumero, dignare filiae tuae
respondere coniugium. credas velim, cum vota processerint, interventui meo non mi-
norem te gratiam, qui rogaris, habitumm, quam istum, quem commendo. vale.
vm.
AD POMPEIANVM. /T
15 Arguere diutnmum silentium meum non potes, qui me in sacro comitatu hactenus
fuisse didicisti; unde nuper regressus honorificentiam dicendae salutationis exerceo.
vicissitudo testabitur, quod paginam meam libenter acceperis. interea commendo
scripta reddentem. mihi enim proficiet, si quid suggestioni eius favoris inpenderis.
vale.
20 vnn.
AD VINCENTIVM. F
Probo homines ad clientelam tuam pertinere cupientes — nam quaedam scintilla
sapientiae est, virtutum luminibus adplicari — , et ideo amici mei Zenodori laudabilem
volnntatem commendatione non difibro enndemque in domus tuae sacrarium tamquam
26 mystagogus indnco. fac quaeso, ut et meo studio et ipsius voto impetratio prompta
respondeat. vale.
X.
AD LEPORIVM.
Fortunae telo graviter sauciatus nunc primum epistulae maesta verba committo;
30 neque enim diu ab ofGcio debui temperare , cum tanti vulneris dolor nnlia temporis
diutumitate possit aboleri. salutato igitur te simul amicissimum meum Silvanum
et tamen F 8 etiam om, F^ incenso F^ 1 m, 9 uitas F^ 1 m. uerbis] Lypaitu, om. F
habiturum] (/"), om, F commendo] /7, committo F(r)
datione] UF^, commendari F^ fort. non desero 25 mystagogus] Lypaku, mystagogum F^, mixta-
gogum F^ impetrato F^, intratio F^ 1 m,
8oluto Fi igitur] ergo Fi Siluanum] «S* F^
i
238 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
F diligentiae ttuie promptus commendator insinuo ; qui refovendi patrimonii mei gratia
laboriosam peregrinandi necessitatem recepit, eoqne dignior est boni cuiusque suffragio
2 ullis edictis designationem per-
sonarum videmus expressali, sed principalibus et tabulariis liberum est, alios a dis-
pendio vindicare, aliis indebitum munus inponere. unde quaeso, ut hanc partem et &
nostrae utilitatis et tuae landiB consideratione discutias. postulant enim capitulani
taxationem tironis ab hominibus meis nulla super hoc publicae valic/itatis monumenta
promcntes; unde mihi non miusta suspicio est, quod in excusationem sui aut suorum
nostros quoque homines falsa adscriptione subdiderint. et ideo dignum est, ut pro-
vincialibus vel edicto vel subscriptione tua instructio plena pandatur, ne tabulariorum lo
et curialium vaga et libera exactio quaestum praestet licentiae. * vale.
XI.
◆
[To an unnamed friend] I'm renewing my recommendation of Euscius, not starting one from scratch — when you were in Rome, you willingly took up his cause at my request. Now it's time for you to support my interests through Euscius, whose discretion in handling my affairs will do nothing to harm your own reputation. Farewell.
[To Dionysius] Your reputation for both good character and medical skill has recommended you to me for some time now. Drawn by the praise you receive on both counts, I extend the hand of friendship and invite you freely into our circle. As proof that my regard is genuine, I'm assigning you as instructor to the students I've sent for medical training. Return the pledge of mutual goodwill, then, and take under your teaching those whom I'm entrusting — through Euscius — to your integrity and honor. Farewell.
[To Auxentius] The friendship we began in Rome I now strengthen by letter, so that this token of regard sent to you in absence may assure you of my sincerity. Your attentiveness to me will be demonstrated privately through our correspondence, and publicly through your legal advocacy on Euscius's behalf. Farewell.
[To an unnamed official] The agents of absent landowners, entrusted with distant affairs, live as though the laws don't apply to them — since their masters are too far away to instill any fear. What's needed is the firm hand of judicial authority, so that they pay what their leases require. I ask you, then, to support the requests of my secretary, whom I've sent to collect what's owed for the praetorian celebration and to recover debts from negligent servants — and to take on a share of my responsibilities in this matter. Farewell.
[To Carterius] On behalf of my son Auxentius, I've taken on the roles of devoted father, eager suitor, and sworn witness all at once. If the weight of all that carries any influence with you, please welcome into your family a young man distinguished in every quality of life and fortune. I stake my personal guarantee on everything a father typically weighs in such matters. Though I know future sons-in-law are judged by character, this young man has, beyond his natural gifts, an estate that more than meets the standard of respectability. I could say much more about him, but the truth doesn't need to be dressed up. So if you consider me a credible advocate, judge the man by my testimony — and please honor with the hand of your daughter the one I'd happily count among my own family. Trust me: when the match goes through, you who are being asked will be no less grateful for my intervention than the young man I'm recommending. Farewell.
[To Pompeianus] You can't accuse me of a long silence — you know I've been at the imperial court until recently. Now that I'm back, I'm performing the honorable duty of sending greetings. Your reply will prove you received my letter gladly. In the meantime, I commend the bearer of this letter — anything you do for his petition will benefit me as well. Farewell.
[To Vincentius] I approve of men who seek your patronage — wanting to attach oneself to virtue shows a spark of wisdom. And so I waste no time in recommending my friend Zenodorus and his admirable intentions, and I introduce him into the inner circle of your household like a priest leading an initiate. Please see to it that my effort and his hopes are promptly met. Farewell.
[To Leporius] Struck hard by fortune's blow, I'm only now setting down these sorrowful words. I couldn't keep away from my duty for long, since the pain of such a wound can never be erased by time. After greeting you, let me also warmly commend my dear friend Silvanus, whom I entrust to your attentiveness. He's taken on the arduous necessity of traveling in order to restore my estates, which makes him all the more deserving of every good person's support.
[Continued] We see no official edict specifying which individuals are liable, and yet the local tax officers and record-keepers are free to exempt some from the burden while imposing unwarranted charges on others. I ask you, therefore, to look into this matter — both for my benefit and for your own credit. The tax assessors are demanding a military recruit levy from my tenants without producing any public documentation to support it. I strongly suspect they've fraudulently added my people to the rolls to cover for themselves or their own clients. It would be right, then, for you to issue a clear directive — whether by edict or official notice — to the provincials, so that the unchecked and arbitrary collection practices of record-keepers and local officials stop being a license for profiteering. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.