Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
Those who obtain their wishes by the gods' kindness feel that honoring the source of their blessings in person is a form of gratitude in itself. And so my friend Paeonius, having received the magnificent gift of your testimonial, has hurried to visit the man who gave him this advancement.
I'd recommend this excellent citizen to you, except that to recommend someone you've already honored would be absurd [Text breaks off in source.]
Texto latino / grego
Qui deum beneficio potiuntur optatis, venerari ipsos coram datores bonorum gra- tiae instar existimant; ut nunc frater meus Paeonius vadatus opimo testimonii tui 30 munere adire properavit parti honoris auctorem. commendarem tibi optimum civem, 1 custodia F 2 accidit PF 3 beneflcientiam TF iteratio in ras. P 10 nouam] Lypsius, bonam PF^DP) beniuolentiam PF 15 Texii] Sciopphu, redM PiPfp) 17 placitoft amorej Srioppius^ placitus amore 0, plaritnra more P 24 ac negotium Leetiu$ 29 qui deumj quid cum / benefltio P 1 m. [ si posBes parvi facere, qnem dadum altius protulisti. Bupersedendum est igitur tis P yerbis. quae suffragari proficiscentibus solent; neque enim vana spes est, validiora fore apud te merita praesentis, cum absentem fayore respexeris. vale. XXXXVI a. 393.