Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido

It's a blemish on justice that my friend Magnillus — who served as vicar [deputy governor] in Africa and earned universal praise both publicly and privately — is being held up by various obstacles in the province. You know the man's maturity and his many fine qualities, which won your affection even when he was governing Liguria.

So there's no need for me to sing the praises of someone you already know well. I earnestly ask that when the letter-carrier explains the reasons for his delays, you intervene on his behalf so that he may finally return home and exchange the hardship of his long exile for the rest he longs for.