Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
You can easily imagine how I received the news of the Sicilian affair gone wrong — you who know that the injustice of judges wounds me even in other people's cases. And now I am even accused of having given imprudent advice that led to the loss of a case that was rightly decided.
But what was I to do? I advised what justice demanded, not what fortune would allow. If the outcome proved unfavorable, the fault lies with the judge, not with the counsel. I remain convinced that the case was sound, and I urge you not to abandon it. An appeal may yet restore what an unjust verdict has taken away. Send me word of what you decide. Farewell.
Texto latino / grego
Quo animo acceperim Siciliense negotium vulneratum, facile coniectas, qui me noveris, in alienis qnoqne iudicatomm iniqnitate morderi. qnin etiam consilii a te inpmdentis accusor ob amissam recte agis! cur enim speravi contumeliam 30 sacri anditorii vindicandam? cur de amicis legitima et iusta praesumpsi? et qno redacti sumus I iustitiam perdidi, dum expecto vindictam. iam illud qno pacto diluam, 2 quod Probus mitior iudicatur, qui in praeiudicinm vel invidiam possessionis meae quam] ego, iUios uiquam P, illlus inqnam K, iUiuB quam F meae F laudis VF 22 prae- terea P 1 m. cum adroissus F 26 om, VM 29 amissam recte PVy amiss. recte /*, amisan recte 0, amissa recte M 30 au- ditorii] Af, auditorts P, auditoris eorr. M auditorii V psumsi P et quo] PVMPipy en quo Iwretus 7* 52 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE P Fitf parvi agellnli retentione recessit, cum illi tota muliercnlae promitteretnr hereditas? nam referendi haec sola praefecto nrbis ratio fnit, non nt receptamm appellationnm poenam Siciliae rector exsolveret, sed nt iniuriam snam sacri anditorii cognitor vindi- 3 caret. nnnc rescriberetnr in cansam post victoriam meam contra sententiam prae- 7 fectnrae, cni pars adversa consentit, si relatio ad fortnnam negotii pertineret et snp- & ^ plementa vel re/htatorios inrgantes dedissent. rogo, de qnibns actionibns indicabitnr? qnas in Sicilia post appellationem meam pars nna deprompsit? qnibns tyrannicomm tempomm gesta sociata snnt? tanti est invidia mei et grata est aliqnibns nostra re- 4 prehensio? cede adversantinm volnntati et domino nostro invictissimo principi Theo- dosio semper Augusto dignare suggerere, non pluris apnd me divitias valere qnam lo famam. bonum de me indicinm parentis pnblici conservatoris mei cuivis antepono patrimonio. si placet, nt omni mea hereditaria possessione decedam, lex mihi erit, quidqnid omnium dominns placata anctoritate censnerit.