Letter 5076: The circumstances of our time test every friendship, and those that survive the test emerge stronger.

I announce that I have returned to Rome. And I only wish that I could have been a report of my good health as well, which the hardship of travel and the harshness of winter have undermined. But, restored now to leisure, I hope for better things. As for your own being in good health, the powers of heaven will provide it. For as to your protecting my people with your accustomed goodwill, I ought not to have to ask, since spontaneous services do not require any prompting. [The edition here prints a block of critical apparatus recording manuscript variant readings, not letter text: at "reddito," manuscript V reads otherwise; "mihi" follows the reading of V; "ex" is from V; "fratrem" from V; "aliquid anit asperitatis inur." is a corrupt reading of V; "quoque" is abbreviated "qq" in V; "misi" in V; further notes record "sym help" in V (omitted in another witness); line 14 "...ria" in P, "exultoque ad" in V2, "...dium" in P; line 15 "exortatione" in P (first hand); line 16 "lectionem" in V, "lectioni" in the Florentine manuscript; line 17 "enim" omitted in V, "silere" in the Florentine, "propositio" in V; "uore solito" in V.] SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE [Letters of Symmachus] XCVII (XCV). SYMMACHUS TO HELPIDIUS. I would indeed have preferred to obtain your consolation in person, but since the second place in winning favor belongs to letters, the compensation of your writings has satisfied my longing for you, and it especially gladdened my spirit that you reported you had returned, together with your good health, into my favor again. For my own part I have determined to remain still at Formiae, so that, once the heats of autumn have been softened, I may withdraw to the country estates near the city. For the reckoning of my time does not permit me to enter our common homeland in a state of sorrow. Farewell. XCVIII (XCVI). [heading only; no letter text follows]

« Romam redisse me nuntio. atque utinam sanitatis qnoque meae index esse potuis- sem, quam labefactavit peregrinationis iniuria et hiemalis asperitas. sed otio redditus 30 spero meliora. ipse ut valeas, divina praestabunt. nam ut homines meos solito favore tuearis, postulare non debeo, cum incitamentum spontanea officia non requirant. I reddito V^ mihi lex V^, ex V^ fratrem V^ aliquid anit asperiUtis inur. V^ 2 quoque] qq V^ misi Vt II sym help V^, om, V^M 14 ///ria P exultoque ad V2 8//dium P 15 ex- ortatione P l m, 16 lectionem V\ lectioni (F) 17 enim om, V^ silere (F) propo- sitio V» uore sollto V* 152 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE LXXXXVII (LXXXXV). PV^m SYMMACHVS HELPIDIO. Maiaerim quidem taum solamen adipisci, ned quia litteris secundus ad gratiam locus est, desiderio tui scriptorum conpensatio satisfecit maximeque iuvit animnm, quod tecum bonam valetudinem redisse in gratiam nuntiasti. ipse Formiis adhuc residere s PV lconstitui, ut mitigatis autumni aestibus ad suburbana concedam. neque enim temporis mei ratio patitur, nt communem patriam maestus ingrediar. vale. LXXXXVin (LXXXXVI) .