Letter 3065: I sensed there was something behind your long abstention from letters.

[End of a preceding letter] I understood that it was not over nothing that you were so long holding back from writing. At last it became clear that the diligence of your attentions had been brought to a standstill, your sight hampered by illness. And so, anxious as I was at that silence, you put off the news of the harsh matter [...] right up until the joys of your recovery, lest I should be seized with worry over the trouble that had arisen before I had the reassurance of its removal. But now that health has come back into favor with you, reward our friendship with more generous pages; otherwise, if the letters break off again, I shall fear something of the same kind once more. But of this enough has been said. As for Flavianus, the master of my heart, your comrade, I rejoice exceedingly that he clings to your spirit, even to the resentment of dishonest men; for he often boasts to me of such a friendship. I had foreseen beforehand that this would come about, considering the virtues of you both, whose likeness produced this concord, and therefore I take more joy than wonder from it; and I beg you, let no power of the evil eye prevail against such friends. For that man I need not entreat, since for him it is not expedient to wish otherwise. Letter LXXXVI, before the year 392. To Rufinus. Men unknown may well be commended by a long compass of words; but the merits of Severianus, a most distinguished man, proven by the documents of his many years of military service, do not require an elaborate testimonial. He recently held the foremost place in commanding the cohorts of the urban prefecture, and was by law transcribed into the senatorial order. It remains that, after the dignity of the curia, which is greater than offices of honor, he should also display a specimen of himself to the provincial commonwealth; which I judge will come to pass if you prove a ready supporter [in seconding] when my lord the prefect of the City sends a letter about this matter. [Apparatus: "...likeness with you returns..." reading of manuscript F, redit in PF; line 23 capito in P; line 25 "it suffices" conjectured by Mommsen; line 33 adstipulator inueris my (the editor's) reading; stipulator adiuueris in PF; stimulator adiuueris per Juretus.] Book III. 97 Letter LXXXVII, before the year 396. To Rufinus. [manuscript P] You have bitten at my silence concerning the passing of a discharged citizen with a most charming turn of your letter. For what wittier rebuke could be devised for the news I had suppressed, than that I, a dweller on the Caelian Hill, should learn of events at Rome from letters arriving from elsewhere? But the proven seriousness of your judgment imposed on me a scruple. For I feared to appear glad to you on the strength of such an indication. You know that this is the principle of humane feeling: that toward those little esteemed and formerly at odds with us, in exchange for the grief that death is wont to inflict, we should at least pay the reverence of silence. Wherefore cease to slash with your oblique pen at what I feared might displease your ears; nay rather, give thanks to my circumspection, which made room for your wit. And would that you often wrote letters in jest, which you refuse to write in earnest. Why are you so miserly in using the resources of your talent? I fear that hereafter it may be more useful for me to abstain from sending letters; for I drew out your last page about yourself by the offense of my silence, and therefore you will perhaps make amends for my fault, since you do not render it in dutiful services. [Apparatus: line 5 "so that" per Juretus, "although" in P and Pyp; "I should learn at Rome" in P -- write: "I should learn what had been done at Rome" or something similar; "I should learn Roman matters" per Seeck; line 14 "you return" in P, first hand; "it would seem." Q. Aurelius Symmachus. 13] 98 The Letters of Symmachus Letter LXXXVIII, in the years 382-383. To Rufinus. I would commend to you my son Flavianus, were it not that he was summoned at your own wish. I shall therefore detract nothing from your kindness. It is enough for my young man, as proof of a spirit grateful toward you, that he does not require the help of his parent's letters. Yet I think it befits affection that I too should confess myself obligated to you in his name. From this it will come about that you may heap upon him the more gifts of your zeal, since not one person alone is beholden to you on his behalf. Letter XC, in the year 383. To Rufinus. [manuscripts PF] Often you are to me the author of gladness, whether the first or the only one; before this you announced by letter that my brother was quaestor, and now that he is praetorian governor. In all your letters, therefore, there is some great cause of my joy. What of the fact that the very words run riot, and attest by the brilliance of their style the eagerness of your spirit? Since I cannot match these with equal services, I meet them with a divine wish: that the fortune of the best of men may always be pleasing to your felicity. Letter XCI, before the year 396. To Rufinus. To men strong in uprightness and honor, another's speech adds nothing; for, conspicuous by their own light, they are not helped by borrowed testimonies. Of what kind, then, and how great my lord and brother is, lies open to view. Deservedly our talent yields to his praises. This one thing only I think should not be passed over: that I share with him the highest fellowship of dutiful services among intimates; a thing which to you commends even lesser merits for the most part. Whence I judge that the affection of your noble mind toward him will be ready out of abundance, an affection which both his own distinction and the privilege of my friendship secure for him.

Intellegebam non esse de nihilo, quod diu a litteris tempcfrabas. tandem patuit inpedito per aegritudinem visu officiorum stetisse sollertiam. itaque ego ille de is silentio sollicitus pfoharp "^^ fatf gri a"^^ asperae nuntium rei usque ad sanitatis tnae gaudia distulisti, ne de te ante caperem exorti incommodi soUicitudinem quam securi- tatem remoti. nunc quia tecum valetudo in gratiam redi/t, indulgentioribus paginis amicitiam munerare; alioquin cessantibus epistulis simile aliquid rursns timebo. sed 2 de hoc satis verbomm est. Flavianum, pectoris mei dominum, tui socium, haerere 20 animo tuo usque ad inproborum dolorem nimis gratulor, nam saepe apud me de tali amicitia gloriatur. hoc ego futurum ante prospexeram virtutes utriusque considerans, quarum similitudo concordiam fecit, et ideo plus gaudii quam miraculi capto teque oro, ne quid in tales amicos fascino liceat. ille enim mihi non est rogandus, cni aliud velle non expedit. 25 LXXXVU ante a. 392. AD RVFINVM. Longo orationis ambitu commendentur incogniti; Severiani autem c. v. merita annosae militiae probata documentis elaboratum testimoninm non requimnt. principem locum regendis praefecturae urbanae cohortibus nuper obtinuit, in ordinem senatorium 30 lege transcriptus est. restat. ut post dignitatem curiae, quae honoribus maior est, etiam reip. provinciali specimen sui praebeat; quod futumm arbitratnr, si domini mei praefecti urbi super hoc litteras promptus orfstipulator euveris. litudo tecnm F redit PF 23 capito P 25 siippetit Mommaen 33 adstipulator inueriB] ego, stipulator adiuueris PF, stimulator adiiineris Juretus LIBER UI. 97 LXXXVin ante a. 396. AD RVFINVM. P Silentium menm de excessu civis emeriti lepidissimo argumento epistulae momor- disti. nam quid excogitari facetius potuit ad castigationem snppressi a me nuntii, 5 quam u^ Caelii montis habitator adventiciis litteris Romae cognoscerem? sed Coh^ mihi iudicii tui spectata gravitas indixit religionem. metui quippe tibi huiusmodi in- dido laetns videri. scis humanitatis hanc esse rationem, ut parum probatis et ante discordibus ad vieem doloris, quem mors incutere solet, reverentiam saltem silentii deferamus. quare parce oblique stilo caedere, quod displicere auribus tnis timui; 2 10 quin immo age circumspectioni meae gratias, quae tuis salibus locum fecit. atque utinam saepe epistulas ioco scribas, qnas negas serio. quid avare uteris ingenii tui copiis? vereor ne mihi posthac utilius sit mittendis litteris abstinere; nam proximam de te paginam offensione tacitnmitatis elicui, et ideo praestabis forsitan culpae meae. quod non reddis ofGciis. 15 LXXXVrai a. 382—383. AD RVFINVM. Commendarem tibi Flavianum filium meum, nisi te volente esset accitus. nihil igitnr tno beneficio derogabo. satis est iuveni meo ad argumentum grati circa te animi, quod de litteris parentis non requirit auxilium. pnto tamen convenire pietati, 20 ut me quoque eius nomine tibi fatear obligatum. ex quo fiet, ut plura in eum con- geras stndii tui munera, pro quo tibi non unus obnoxius est. LXXXX a. 383. AD RVFINVM. PF Saepe mihi auctor laetitiae aut primus aut solus es; quaestorem antehac fratrem, 25 nunc rectorem praetorianum litteris nuntiasti. in omnibus ergo litteris tuis magna ali- qua gaudii mei causa est. quid quod ipsa verba luxuriant et animi /ui alacritatem stili nitore testantur? haec cum paribus officiis aequare non possim, voto divina con- venio, ut fortnna optimorum virorum semper felieitati tuae grata sit. LXXXXI ante a. 396. 30 \ AD RVFINVM. Probitate et honore pollentibus viris nihil aliena addit oratio; sua enim luce conspicni precariis testimoniis non invantur. qualis igitur quantusque sit dominus et frater meus , in aperto est. merito eins laudibus nostrum cedit ingenium. hoc unum tamen praetereundum non puto, summam mihi cum illo esse officiorum 5 qaam at] lurtiuB^ qaamnis Piyp romte cognosceTem P, Bcribe: Romae gesta cognoscerem vd 8i- miU quidj Romana cognoscerem Suse 14 redls P 1 m. iideratur Q. Atbrlivs Stmmaouvs. 13 y 98 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE PF familiarium societatem ; quae res tibi etiam minora merita plenimque comraendat. nnde arbitror ex abundanti promptam fore in eum praeclarae mentis tuae adfectionem, quam illi et decus proprium et meae amicitiae praerogativa conciliat.