Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido

I have long been hoping to restore the health of my poor body, if only I could enjoy the healthful air of the countryside. But the suburbs are unsafe because of bandits, and so it is better to waste away in the idleness of the city than to risk the dangers of the rural districts. Yet I feel my health improving through your letters, in which you frequently list the benefits of our lord Theodosius [Emperor Theodosius I] and assure me that your merits are being pressed with great rewards. His tongue will suffice for thanking you; for my part, with my modest talent, I have paid the tribute of praise to the most excellent man -- our partner in wishing well for Flavianus.

But it is time for you to allow that very man to return -- the one for whom we are obligated. How long will you claim the comfort of a magistrate's company in a distant province? There is no excuse involving his wife's pregnancy anymore -- a timely birth has resolved that expectation.