Quintus Aurelius Symmachus → destinatário desconhecido
Tradução moderna em inglês
I am glad that my friend Aurelius has been admitted to the circle of your proteges — not only for his sake, since the patronage of so distinguished a man is a great benefit, but especially for my own, since you treated my testimony as equivalent to your own judgment. This only deepens my obligation to you.
I ask that you continue to show him favor. He is a man of proven integrity who will not disappoint the trust you have placed in him — or the word I have given on his behalf. Farewell.
Texto latino / grego
Relatum in cultores tuos Aurelium familiarem meum gaudeo non illius modo nomine, quem tuendum summatis viri cura suscepit, sed meo maxime, cuius testimo- ninm iudicii instar habuisti. accessit huic muneri auctior ex litteris tuis gratia, quam- quam est in illis, quod amantem possit offendere. brevi enim /ranscursu, cum mihi 30 voluptatem adferant, negant satietatem. et est haec natura rerum bonarum, ut illis frui prolixius velis nec quicquam durius sumas quam placitae orationis citum transitnm. adde igitur epistulis tuis copiam vel, si potes, detrahe suavitatem. ni ita feceris, laesus rependam fastidio tuo verba, quae soleo, et paginas longiores. laudat V que P 3 m, 30 baec est F 31 neqnicqnam P, sed eorr. 1 m. orationis placitae F Q. Atbklivs Symmaohvs. \g 138 SYMMACm EPISTVLAE u (xxxxvmi).