Letter 4007: This is a long letter whose text is substantially intermixed with critical apparatus and OCR artifacts.

You gladdened my day with your letter, which bore witness that the careful attention of our friendship flourishes in your regard. Much delight has flowed into my heart. And indeed I had resolved to anticipate your courtesy by writing first, if I had learned that you had come to Mediolanum [Milan]. For I had assigned this charge to your brother, in whose affection I would yield to you, so that he might promptly announce your arrival; but, delayed by a certain collusion, he gave you the earlier place in beginning the exchange of greetings. Nor do I take it ill that with you the favor of a brother takes precedence. Meanwhile, an answer is owed to your inquiry, in which you ask to know by what pursuits we order our life. While my son is being initiated into Greek letters, I have once more joined myself to his studies as though his equal. For devotion bids us grow young again, so that the labor shared may instill the sweetness of letters into our children. Your affairs are not in the bud but in the ripened fruit; your most eloquent young man, as I have learned by report, presses hard upon his parent with the nearest heels of eloquence. O happy you, my friend, if you are surpassed! Our schooling still strives to bring a flower into being, nor can labor be commanded of an only son. And so, between my fear and my diligent care, the slow advance of our pledge grows to maturity. Plainly, as I judge, we have satisfied your questions. Now in turn I desire to learn the course of your own affairs. And this is easy for you, if you think me worthy of a letter, since there is an abundance of those who travel back and forth, seeing that you may make use of the couriers stationed at court of your brother. [Letter XXI, dated 396, To Protadius:] After the deadly famine of our city, the grain supply having been restored to a state of calm, I had withdrawn to the coast of the Campanian region. Opportunely there appeared Marcianus, your intimate and, through your kindness, a friend to me as well, bringing your letter; and when I had run my glad eyes over it, the favor of those much-frequented shores grew greater in my esteem. For it most often happens that from good occurrences the honor and pleasure of places increases and displays the signs of affection. For no one cherishes friendship more ardently than he who grows angry at negligence. And I would have you take this in such a way that the ground of my own duty remains unimpaired. For I acknowledge no fault of a care toward you grown cold. What of the fact that recently, with our common brother as witness, whom the magistracy of the city embraces, I gave you a twofold greeting by letters? Do I owe to your brotherliness even the trustworthiness of those who travel? Consider how rare or hidden are men's departures into distant parts; add the perfidy of those who frustrate the messages entrusted to them: you will not, I hope, accuse the idleness of an absent man, if you consider that both in sending letters another's opportunity must be sought, and in delivering them another's fidelity. But why do I strive to assert my diligence toward you by these proofs? I believe that our brother Marcianus himself has zealously disclosed to you how great a remembrance and proclamation of you lives in my mouth and heart. Indeed, I no longer inquire what you think of my writings or of my silence; since it is a lesser thing to address you frequently than to speak of you continually. Why then do you demand writings, to which one is often ill entrusted? This is more freely, this is more truly done, which is offered to one who is absent. And so, as you wish, boast of the frequency of the pen: I surpass duty by my judgment. [Letter XXII, dated 396?, To Protadius:] A twofold discourse from you came alike into my hands, while you proceed to cultivate our friendship with manifold acts of courtesy. By which example, though all affection is to be reckoned by measure and not by number, I return to you a pair of letters, of which the one our brother Eusebius, a part of my heart, and this one the young man Martyrius of the finest worth will present, and at the same time I make this agreement, that you remember to emulate the faithfulness of that repayment, when the interest of frequent pages shall in turn have begun to press upon you. [The remainder of the source consists of manuscript collation apparatus (variant readings keyed to the P, F, V, M manuscripts and Mommsen's edition) and is not letter text. ...]

Hilarasti mihi diem litteris, quae testatae sunt, vigere apud te nostrae amicitiae diligentiam. multum pectori meo voluptatis inlapsum est. et sane statueram scriptis antevertere officium tuum, si te Mediolanium venisse didicissem. dederam quippe hanc 30 provinciam germano tuo, cuius tibi amore non cesserim, ut adventum tuum propere nuntiaret; sed conludio quodam moratus indicium tibi ordiendae salutationis priorem locum praestitit. neque ego moleste fero, quod apud te gratia fratris antistat. 2 interea respondendum est inquisitioni , qua scire postulas, quibus actibus vitam cola- mus. dum filius meus Graecis litteris initiatur , ego me denuo studiis eius velud 35 aequalis adiunxi. repuerascere enim nos iubet pietas, ut litterarum dulcedinem liberis nostris labor participatus insinuet. tuae res non in germine, sed in fruge sunt; cuius mallo P 13 sotiom P 1 m, 14 ac om. {F) fenorid Mtteer, uelatione fenoris Mom^inaen^ seribe: uel auctione uel grauitate fenoris distrabentur 24 at quem P una cum fratre] ego, u c a fratre PF^ 27 om, F 33 gratia fratris PF^ supplt : quod apud te gratia festinati offldi astu fratris antistat od simile quidy quod apud uos gratia fratris antistat Mommsen 36 repuerascere (cere in ra$.) P iuuet pietas P 1 m.j pietas iubet F LIBERJIII. 105 eloqnentiBBimus iuvenis, ut fando conperi, proximis facundiae calcibus urguet parentem. PF 0 te beatum, amice, si vinceriBl nostra adhuc institutio molitur florem creare, nec 3 imperari potest unico labor. itaque inter metum meum et diligentiam lentus pignoris nostri profectus adolescit. plane, ut arbitror, quaesitis satisfecimus. nunc vicissim 5 rerum tuarum ordinem cupio cognoscere. facilis autem tibi , si me litteris dignum putes, commeantium copia est, cum tabellariis in aula positi fratris utaris. XXI a. 396. AD PROTADIVM. PVM Post urbis nostrae exitiabilem famem re frumentaria in tranquillum redacta oram 10 Campanae regionis accesseram. commodum adfuit Marcianus intimus vester et mihi per vos amicus adportans litteras tuas; quas ubi laetis oculis percucurri, aucta est apud me celebratorum litorum gratia. fit enim plerumque, ut ex bonis accidentibus honor et voluptas crescat locorum et amoris signa praeferet. nam nemo 2 flagrantius amicitiam colit, quam qui irascitur neglegentiae. quod ita accipias volo, 15 ut causa officii mei salva sit. nullum quippe delictum curae erga te frigentis agnosco. quid quod proxime teste fratre communi, quem magistratus urbis amplectitur, geminam tibi salutem per epistulas dixi? num fratemitati tuae etiam commeantium fidem debeo? cogita in longinqua raras aut occultas hominum profectiones , adde perfidiam mandata 3 firustrantium : non accusabis absentis, ut spero, desidiam, si consideres, et in emitten- 20 dis epistulis alienam requiri occasionem et in reddendis alienam fidelitatem. sed quid ego his testimoniis diligentiam in te meam nitor adserere? ipsum fratrem nostrum Marcianum credo tibi sedulo prodidisse, quanta memoria et praedicatio tui in ore ac pectore meo vigeat. ego vero iam, quid de scriptis meis vel silentio sentias, non re- 4 quiro; siquidem minus est te frequenter adloqui quam de te iugiter loqui. quid ergo 25 scripta postulas, quibus saepe male creditur? hoc liberius, hoc verius est, quod de- fertur absenti. itaque. ut vis, gloriare stili frequentia: ego officium vinco iudicio. XXn a. 396? AD PROTADIVM. Geminus pariter in manus meas a te sermo pervenit, dum multiiugis officiis ami- 80 citiam nostram pergis excolere. quo exemplo, licet omnis adfectio modo non nuwero censeatur, reddo tibi binas litteras, quarum alias frater noster Eusebius pars pectoris mei, has vero frugis optimae iuvenis Martyrius exhibebit, simulque convenio, ut fidem solutionis istius memineris aemulari, cum te coeperit frequentium paginarum vicissim fenus urguere. de Umgo Symmaehi silentio commemorata erat^ quam noster amoris signa praeferre laetatur 14 qui om. Af, inier lineas add. V 1 m. 15 erigentis P 1 m. V{r^) 16 gemmam P 1 m. 19 absentes V 26 offlcium] PM, offlcium tuum V{r) 34 uale add. VM Q. ATKBLIirS StMMAOHVS. |4 106 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE xxm.