Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
Shortly afterward, I had promised to support the son of my friend Trygetius as a candidate for the praetorship [junior magistracy]. Duty demanded that I seize the opportunity of that scheduled appearance to fulfill an obligation to my father that was still owed by me — though, as I said, already discharged by the Senate itself.
So on the fifth day before the Ides of January [January 9th], I addressed the full Senate. When the transcript reaches you, your own reaction will tell you what others thought. For my part, uncertain of your verdict, I decided to keep quiet about everyone else's opinions, so as not to seem to prejudge you with the weight of so distinguished an assembly's approval.
Texto latino / grego
dulgentia {F) 31 patior V tibi feoisse VM qnendi apud collegas adtulit dies', egit pater seDatui gratiam ea facundiae gravitate, VMII qna notas est. kalendae tanc erant, qaibus annas aperitar. brevi interyallo cam 2 familiaris mei Trygeti filio praetorio candidato operam spopondissem , animam religio eonyenit, at occasione destinati officii obirem manas adhac a me patri debitam sed, b at dixi , ab illo senatai iam solatam. ergo a. d. qaintam Idas lanaarias verba fed in amplissimo ordine ; qaae abi in manns taas venerint, ex tao animo conicies iadicia ceteroram. ego sab^incerto examinis tai alioram sententias occalendas patavi, ne te praeiadicio tanti ordinis viderer argaere. XXXXV (XXXVini) ante a. 385.