Letter 7065: The most august senate has appointed my lord and son Attalus as envoy to our lords and emperors, chosen from among...

The most distinguished order [the senate] has sent my lord and son Attalus, a man of the highest rank, as envoy to our lords and emperors, furnished according to custom with various instructions, which [...] [the matters] seemed to concern the public good. If you lend your support to this man, I think the outcome will be that he [the emperor] grants him a reward for his toil. I ask you therefore, whether for the merit of his mission or on my account, to give good counsel for an excellent man, who is sufficiently assured in spirit that, with your backing, success will follow. TO PATRUINUS [a. 398] Happy are you, who, having earned a discharge from offices, live at leisure; we live upon the open sea of our country and are buffeted by the waves of fortune. To what end I have brought these things forward, my lord and son Attalus will explain, for whom the hope of seeing your wisdom has made the labor of the journey desirable. TO PATRUINUS Two things equally agreeable have been brought to me: first your discourse, which, even if it could be continuous, would stir no weariness; next the longed-for arrival of our brother Frumentius. That he was to be reckoned in the number of good men, even before I had made trial of his character, I judged from the prerogative of your testimony; but when, upon closer encounter, the ornaments of his uprightness lay open, I perceived that he had been proclaimed less than reason demanded, through his modesty, lest he himself should seem to thrust upon me by letter a commendation entrusted to him of his own praise. In return therefore for these gifts I pay you the wished-for reply, by which you may learn anew that I am acting according to my wish and enjoying my advantages, in good health together with my own. To this matter, however, I think nothing need be added, since brotherly congratulation can be fulfilled by the sole token of our well-being. TO PATRUINUS You know, by the kindness implanted in you, what is owed of generosity and mercy to little ones bereft of the support of their parents. With good reason I think I need not, in your presence, employ a long circuit of letters on behalf of the sons of Severus, a man of illustrious memory, who, unless they are aided by the help of good judges, will lie exposed to plunder and injury. Whatever therefore their advantage demands, let your favor not be reluctant to expend, so that they may at least be defended by public assistance, who are deserted by their household's supports.

Dominum et filium meum Attalum de summatibus viris ad dominos et principes nostros amplissimus ordo legavit instructum variis de more mandatis. quae spectare 1 gemintui K, germani Af his] (II), boc VM{r) 2 aecnndiam /7 3 qnia] {11), qnod V, qnam M colligitis] VM{r), colUgimns (/7) 5 et] nt P arrississe rescriptnm (IT), //////// //rescriptum P, arrisere scriptum V, nestrnm arridere scriptnm M 6 nirum praeceUentissimum roraitem] ego, om. VM(IT)\ aecuruUu illae Uiterae adkac mpersunt 1111 8 7 permissa] ego, missa VM^H) iir////monitionibn8 P 13 om, VM 14 quae vocem sermone sequuntw, periemnt omnia in P 16 diligentia elns tuae] (77}, diligentiae iusticiae VF, diligentis instici^ tna M uale om, V 18 om. VM; epist, ad Patruinum acripta et»e videtur, eum Petronius eo tempore, qtw Aremtitu Medio- lanium proficiscebatur (p. 154, 31), in Hispania fuerit totius epistulae in P supersurU haee: 19 ... t psn 20 . . . niro quem . . . a famUia 21 . . . qna merito . . . ae conciliat anti 22 . . . nis etiam meae . . . mendationis acce . . . are non possim cn 23 ... estimonium et tnum indi 20 reserari] htretus, reser- nari FA/(/7) 22 debitare V 23 nale om, V 25 om. VM; simul cum sequenti emissa, quae ad Petronium scripta est; ergo ad Patruinum 26 do- minum et fllium menm] VAf (77), ////////////// /eum P uiris ad dominos] FAf(/7), //////////linos P spectant et causas et Af visa sunt bonum publicnm. huic si fautor accesseris, futurum reor, ut illi pro labore PVM fructus accommodet. quaeso igitur, vel legationis merito vel meo nomine in optimum Timm bene consulas, qui satis animi confirmatus est, suifragio tao successuram feli- citatem. CXmi a. 398. AD PATRVINVM. PVMF Beatum te, qui honorum emeritus otiaris; nos in patriae salo vivimus et fortunae fluctibus verberamur. quorsum ista protulerim, dominus et filius meus Attalus elo- quetur, cui spes visendae prudentiae tuae laborem peregrinationis fecit optabilem. 10 CXV. AD PATRVINVM. PVM Duo mihi pariter iucunda delata sunt: primo sermo tuus, qui etiamsi posset esse continuus, fastidium non moveret, dehinc fratris nostri Frumentii exoptatus adventus. quem ego in numerum bonorum esse referendum, priusquam morum ipsius periclum 15 facerem, ex praerogativa tui testimonii iudicavi; | sed ubi propiore congressu probi- PV tatis eius omamenta patuemnt, adverti minus eum, quam ratio postulavit, per vere- cundiam praedicatum, ne ipse laudationem suam mandatam litteris videretur ingerere. pro his ergo muneribus optatum tibi solvo responsum, quo me agere ex sententia et fmi commoda cum meis valetudine recognoscas. huic autem rei nihil adiciendum 20 puto, cum solo nostrae salutis indicio gratulatio fratema possit expleri. CXVI. AD PATRVmVM. Scis pro insita tibi humanitate, quid parvulis et parentum suffragio destitutis benignitatis ac misericordiae debeatur. merito mihi apud te utendum esse non arbi- 25 tror longo ambitu litterarum pro inlustris memoriae viri Severi filiis, qui nisi bono- mm iudicum iuventur auxilio, praedae atque iniuriae subiacebunt. quidquid igitur eomm poscit utilitas, favor tuus non gravetur inpendere, ut publico saltem defen- dantur adiutu, qui familiaribus adminiculis desemntur. 1 bonuDi] VAf(/7), lllllx P 6 om, VMF, ad Petronium scripta^ utpote qui eo tempore vieariatum Hi»paniarum depomerit 7 salo] 4/, solo PVF 8 neraeramar P 1 m, n om, VM 12 dno in nn. P 13 continuum V 14 mori V pericnlnm P 2 m, M quic P 1 m. Q. AvRELIVil 8tMMA€UVM. 27 2 1 0 S YMM ACHI EPIST VLAE cxvn.