Letter 5002: The sincerity of my friendship has, I trust, been proven to you.

The truth of my friendship has been, I think, made plain to you. From this it came about that as consul you summoned me into the company of your festivities. Let the same trust be granted, I pray, to this letter as has proved us worthy of the summons. For a long time I hung in doubt over my choice, between longing for you and care for my only son. Your honor urged my setting out; his education held back the hands stretched out toward you. At last I have followed the course that you yourself would have taken. For those duties belong to joyfulness, these to filial devotion. The attendance of many will throng your eminence's curule chair; for him, everything rests upon his father alone. Your spirit, most indulgent toward your own, will speak more on our behalf together with you; to it I assign the part of my excuse, since those things are not to be pleaded in words which affection interprets better. [Spring/early summer] 398. To Theodorus. [Praefectus urbi Romae] Your consulship recalls my son Flavianus into the light. I do not know whether I ought to commend to you one for whom you have been the author of the greatest joy. Maintain, therefore, I pray, the steady course of the kindness you have shown toward him; although this is to be hoped for from your constancy rather than to be requested. For the loyalty of a voluntary love does not come into doubt. [Editorial apparatus, manuscript variant readings: line 9 'sermone' / 'ore' in manuscript P; line 11 'quero' in V; line 12 'et' omitted in V and F; line 15 omitted in V and F; line 17 'adscires' in V and F; line 18 'probauit' / 'iudicanit' in F; 'diu inter' / 'diuinitus' in V and F; line 19 'lectionis' in V and F; 'perpendi' in F; line 21 'stipabant' in P; line 22 'animos' in P, first hand of V; line 23 'lequetur' in P, first hand; 'non' omitted in F; line 26 omitted in V and M; line 28 'reserua' in V and M; 'oro' omitted in V.] [Symmachus, Letters]

Spectata est, ut arbitror, tibi amicitiae meae veritas. hinc factum est, ut me in consortium festorum tuorum consul accires. praestetur, oro, his litteris eadem fides, quae nos evocatione dignos probavit. diu inter desiderium tui et unici mei curam dubius electionis pependi. tuus honor suadebat profectionem, illius institutio praeten- 20 debat obvias manus. tandem secutus sum, quod ipse fecisses. officia enim illa laeti- tiae sunt, ista pietatis. tuae amplitudinis curulem stipabunt obsequia multorum; huic in solo patre totum est. plura pro nobis indulgentissimus in suos animus tuus tecum loquetur ; cui ego excusationis meae iniungo partes, quia verbis agenda non sunt, quae meUus interpretatur adfectio. 25 VI a. 398. AD THEODORVM. PVM Filium meum Flavianum consulatus tuus revocat in lucem. nescio, an eum com- mendare tibi debeam, cui summi gandii auctor fuisti. serva igitur, oro, depromptae in eum benignitatis tenorem; etsi hoc a constantia tua sperandum magis quam postu- 30 landum est. in dubium enim voluntarii amoris fides non venit. bus P 9 sermone] ore P 11 quero V 12 et om, VF 15 om. VF 17 adscires VF 18 probauit] iudicanit F diu inter] diuinitus VF 19 lec- tionis VF perpendi F 21 stipabant P 22 animos P l m. V 23 lequetur P 1 m, non om, F 26 om, VM 28 reserua VM oro om, V 1 26 STMMACHI EPISTVLAE vn.