Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
A greeting comes first -- it suits my wishes above all else and is the proper way to begin a letter. After that, my dear daughter, I'm entrusting your brother's birthday dinner to your capable management. Our man reports that the sailors have fled and left the coast deserted, which forced me to scale back the arrangements I'm handing off to you.
As for public news, there isn't much to report -- except that a tenement building collapsed in Trajan's Forum and crushed the residents. Popular resentment has blamed it on the city's public transport administration, and the office is now in private hands. Farewell.
Texto latino / grego
Dictionem salutis antefero, quae et voto meo supra omnia convenit et litterario debetur exordio. dehinc diligentiae tuae, doroina filia, natalicium fratris tui com- mendo conviviuro; homo 'enim noster allegat fuga nautamm litora destituta; quae 30 res conpulit, ut sanctitati tuae factu minora committam. de publicis scribenda non suppetunt absqne eo, quod in Traiani platea raina unius insulae pressit habitantes; qnod adeo ad fortunam vehiculi publici plebeia vertit invidia. ut iam privato rectore utatar. vale. dlfferri P 21 164 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE XXXVIII (XXXVUIl) a. 401.