Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
Both my respect for you and my sense of duty would make any occasion for writing worth seizing — let alone one as good as this, presented by a fellow citizen. You'll recognize him: a man from the seven hills [i.e., Rome], known at home for the distinction of his family and abroad for his years of military service.
There's no need for me to say much on his behalf. Recommendations are meant for strangers; for him, it's enough to win your favor that he's both a Roman and a friend.
Texto latino / grego
Et tui cultus et mei officii gratia quaelibet ad scribendum amplectenda esset 10 occasio; tantum abest, ut eam praeterire debuerim, quam civis ingessit. agnoscis enim de septem montibus virum et domi cognitum bonitate generis et foris aetate militiae. pro qno mihi apud te loqui longum non est necesse. commendatio enim praestari debet incognitis, huic vero ad conciliationem gratiae tuae sufficit, quod et Romanus et amicus est. t& X ante a. 895.