Letter 401.1

Fronto to Claudius Severus, greeting. 1. The custom of recommendation is said to have arisen, in its beginnings, from goodwill, when each man wished his own friend to be made known and brought into intimacy with another friend of his. By degrees, then, the custom advanced so far that, even in the case of those who were contesting a matter in a public or private trial, it did not seem an improper thing to recommend them to the judges themselves, or to those who were sitting in counsel — not, I think, to undermine the justice of the judge or to draw him aside from a true verdict. But in the trials themselves this custom had grown old, that when the case had been pleaded out, men brought forward witnesses to character, who, whatever they thought of the defendant, would set it forth faithfully according to their own opinion; and likewise these letters of recommendation have come to seem to perform the office of such a commendation. 2. To what end this preface, drawn from so far back? That you might not suppose I have given too little thought to your dignity and authority in recommending to you Cornelianus Sulpicius, a most intimate friend of mine, who will very soon be pleading his case before you; but rather, as I have said, following the example of an old institution, I have ventured to praise to you a man bound to me by close ties. He is an industrious man, energetic, of a free and liberal nature, most devoted to his country, relying upon his innocence rather than presuming upon it, and to me, through his zeal for letters and his refinement in the liberal arts, [endeared] — [One page cannot be read.] [...] now the gods me [...] whoever [...] these [...] stands between [us], nor have we by any means been joined together in this bond by chance or at random, nor do I confess that I sought out the friendship of Cornelianus unbidden. For the praise of his talent had already reached me, and that it had come true to my ears I have learned by experience and proved by many testimonies. We have lived together, studied together, shared in jest and in earnest alike, made trial of each other's loyalty and counsel; in every way our friendship has been both a pleasure and a profit to us. 3. For which reason, as far as I am at all able, I implore and entreat [you] [...] for a man most dear to me [...] in the case [...] [the man] of another [...] [...] which [...] [...] roused me to the accusation of a man of our own order, but, the records of the council having been read, [...] he strove to repel [...]. Anxiety of mind drives me to recommend him with many words; yet our faithful love answers for me [...] what I am asking, so that my whole speech may seem to you but a single word of mine.

? 157–161 A.D. to Claudius Severus, greeting. 1. The custom of recommendation is said in the first instance to have sprung from good will, when eveiy man wished to have his own friend made known to another friend and rendered intimate with him. Then the custom gradually grew up of giving such recommendations in the case of those persons even who were parties to a public or private trial, provided however that the case was not a flagrant one, to the actual judges or their assessors on the bench: not, I take it, to undermine the fairness of the judge or to lead him aside from giving true judgment. But as there had long established itself in the very courts of law this custom of bringing forward, when the case had been heard out, witnesses to character to give in all honesty their own private opinion of the defendant, so these commendatory letters seemed to discharge the function of a testimony to character. 2. Wherefore this preface going back so far? That you may not think that I have had but scant regard for your dignity and authority in recommending Sulpicius Cornelianus, a most intimate friend of mine, who is very shortly to plead his case before you. But as I have said, following a long-established precedent, I venture to speak in praise of my friend before you. 3. The man is hard-working, energetic, of a free and free-handed nature, a true patriot, relying on his innocence rather than presuming on it, to me a most congenial friend from his devotion to literature and his taste in the liberal arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Nor did this close relationship between us arise casually or by chance, and I am free to confess that I did not go out of my way to seek the friendship of Cornelianus. I had already heard his character spoken of with praise, and that it was a true report which reached my ears I have learnt by experience and verified with many proofs. We have lived together, studied together, shared alike in things grave and gay, put our loyalty and our counsels to the proof. In every way our friendship has conduced to our pleasure and our profit. Wherefore I appeal to you as earnestly as I can to give this very dear friend of mine a favourable hearing in his case . . . . summoned for trial a member of our order. But the notes of the Consilium being read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tried to rebut it. Anxiety for my friend (makes) me commend him at such length: but our friendship is a guarantee of your loyal love for me and (will bring it about that), whatever I ask, a whole speech should seem to you but one word.

ad amicos 1.1 [170 Hout; 1.282 Haines] Fronto Claudio Severo salutem. 1 Commendandi mos initio dicitur benivolentia ortus, cum suum quisque amicum ali amico suo demonstratum conciliatumque vellet. Paulatim denique uste mos progressus est, ut etiam eos, qui publico vel privato judicio disceptarent, non tamen inproba res videretur judicibus ipsis aut iis, qui consilio adessent, commendare, non, opinor, ad justitiam judicis labefactandam vel de vera sententia deducendam. Sed iste in ipsis judiciis mos inveteratus erat causa perorata laudatores adhibere, qui, quicquid de reo existimarent, pro sua opinione cum fide expromerent; item istae commendantium litterae laudationis munere fungi visae sunt. 2 Quorsum hoc tam ex alto prohoemium? Ne me existimasses parum considerasse gravitatem auctoritatemque tuam commendando Corneliano Sulpicio familiarissimo meo, qui propediem causam apud vos dicturos est, sed, ut dici, veteris instituti exemplo necessarium meum laudare apud te ausus sum. Industrius vir est, strenuus, ingenio libero ac liberali, patriae amantissimus, innocentia fretus magis quam confidens, litterarum studio et bonarum artium elegantia mihi ad <...> [Una pagina legi nequit] <...> jam di me . . . . rsen . . s quicumque . . . am . . . . os e . . . . set hos . . . . . e intercedit neque forte aut temere necessitudine ista sumus copulati, nec ultro me amicitiam Corneliani adpetisse fateor. Nam laus ad me de ingenio ejus jam pervaserat, quam veram ad aures meas accidisse usu didici multisque documentis expertus sum, habitavimus una, studuimus una, jocum seriumque participavimus, fidei consiliique periculum fecimus, omnibus modis amicitia nostra et voluptati nobis et usui fuit. 3 Quamobrem quantum plurimum possum, tantum imploro quaesoque es . m . . . . nisque carissimo mihi hominis homini in causa inu . . . is . met alienis . . mum in pe . . . . . r quas . . . . . ineiam . . e . . . me incitarit ad accusationem nostri ordinis virum, sed lectis concilii commentaris ta . te planem facie . . . . . . ed . e . . asse cav . . a . . . tam propulsare conisus est; solliditudo animi me agit multis vum verbis commendare, sed fidum amorem nostri respondet tamen e . . . . . . m, quid postulem, orationem vobis unum meum verbum visum iri.