Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
Lest you think I've been entirely idle, I'm entrusting to your learned judgment a little book — a record of my recent efforts — which won favorable votes from my fellow citizens in the Senate.
You see: I'm preemptively submitting myself to the rigors of your most exacting scrutiny. I don't plead the merit of my style — I point to the judgment of the Senate. My cause and my audience's cause are one. Everyone will learn whether your verdict confirms or corrects theirs [Text breaks off in source.]
Texto latino / grego
Ne me otiosum penitus arbitreris, committo eruditioni tuae vigiliarum mearum testem libellum, quo nuper in senatu sustuli civium secunda suffragia. vides, quo quo M 9 posthae] P(r), posthaeo VM epistolae P hyble P, ///biblae V, iUe M in- homeeti F, thimeti M Bnlata} P 15 pro ifuer. Latinua LaUnku, om. PVM list! F Q. Atkklits Stmmaohvs. 5 42 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE PVF praeindicio antevertam gravissimi examinis tui severitatem. non stili mei praetendo meritam sed ordinis iudicatum. communis mihi et auditoribus meis causa est. scient omnes aut consensum tuae de nobis sententiae aut contumeliam suae. vale. CVI (C).