Letter 9001: [To an unnamed friend] I'm renewing my recommendation of Euscius, not starting one from scratch — when you were in...

My recommendation of Euscius is something I must renew with you, not begin afresh; for when you were active at Rome, prevailed upon by my entreaty on his behalf, you gladly took up the role of goodwill toward him. It is time, therefore, that you should advance my interests in the person of Euscius, whose discretion will assist our affairs in such a way as to detract nothing from the reputation of the judge. Farewell. [To Dionysius, c. 398-401?] For a long while now the fame both of your character and of your medical skill has commended you to me. At the urging, therefore, of both kinds of praise, I extend the hand of your friendship and of my own accord invite you to the assurance of our intimacy. And it will give you no slight proof of my judgment that you are appointed as instructor to those whom we have sent to be trained in the art of medicine. Repay me, then, this pledge of mutual goodwill, and receive into the discipline of healing those whom we entrust both to your good faith and to your integrity, with Euscius handing them over. Farewell. [To Auxentius, c. 398-401?] The friendships begun between us, while you were active at Rome, I crown with the gift of a written word, so that the pledge of a kindness bestowed upon one who is absent may give you assurance of my heart. Your attentiveness toward us, in private the exchange of letters, in public your forensic care on Euscius's behalf, will bear witness. Farewell. [c. 398-401] The agents of absent men, to whom a distant matter is entrusted, live as though released from the laws, since no fear of their masters falls upon men set far off. There is need, therefore, of judicial vigor, that they may pay over what is assigned in their leases. Wherefore I ask that you deign to assist the representations of my notary, to whom I have given charge of certain matters pertaining to the praetorian office and of debts to be recovered from the liable slaves, and that you not refuse to take into your own care the discharge of my anxiety. Farewell. [To Carterius] On behalf of my son Auxentius I have taken upon myself the scruple of a parent, the canvassing of a suitor, the good faith of a witness. If, then, the authority of so weighty a matter carries any weight with you, admit, I beg, into your household a young man adorned with all the goods of life and the gifts of fortune. I pledge myself to you as surety in all those things which the anxiety of parents is wont to weigh. Although I know that future sons-in-law are judged by their character, nevertheless for this man, beyond the adornments of nature, even his fortune redounds to his honorable standing. I could speak of him more copiously, but truth does not wish to be aided by words. Wherefore, if I seem to you no empty advocate, weigh the man on the strength of my testimony, and to him whom I gladly reckon among my own dear ones deign to grant the marriage of your daughter. I would have you believe that, when the vows have gone forward, you who are asked will owe no less gratitude to my intervention than he whom I commend. Farewell. [To Pompeianus] You cannot reproach my long silence, you who have learned that I have been until now in the sacred imperial retinue; whence, having lately returned, I perform the honorable duty of paying my respects. The exchange will bear witness that you have gladly received my page. Meanwhile I commend the bearer who delivers this writing. For it will profit me if you bestow any favor upon his petition. Farewell. [To Vincentius] I approve of men desiring to belong to your clientele -- for there is a certain spark of wisdom in being drawn to the lights of the virtues -- and therefore I do not withhold my commendation of the praiseworthy goodwill of my friend Zenodorus, and I lead the same man into the sanctuary of your house like a mystagogue [an initiator into the rites]. See to it, I beg, that the granting be ready in answer both to my zeal and to his prayer. Farewell. [To Leporius] Gravely wounded by the dart of Fortune, only now do I commit the mournful words of a letter; for I ought not long to have refrained from the duty, since the grief of so great a wound cannot be effaced by any length of time. Having therefore greeted you, I at the same time present to your attentiveness, as a ready commender, my most dear friend Silvanus; who, for the sake of restoring my patrimony, has undertaken the toilsome necessity of traveling abroad, and is on that account the more worthy of every good man's support. [...] we see the designation of persons expressed by any edicts, but the chief officials and the registrars are free to protect some from loss and to impose an undue burden upon others. Whence I ask that you examine this matter with consideration both of our interest and of your own praise. For the recruiting officers demand the assessment of a recruit from my men, producing no records of public liability on this head; whence I have no unjust suspicion that, in excuse of themselves or of their own people, they have fraudulently entered our men too under a false ascription. And therefore it is fitting that a full instruction be set forth to the provincials either by your edict or by your subscription, lest the roving and unchecked exaction of the registrars and the curials should make gain out of license. Farewell.

Repetenda mihi apud te, non inchoanda est Euscii commendatio; nam cum Ro- mae ageres, meo precatu in eius snffragium provocatus libenter partes benevolentiae recepisti. tempus est igitur, ut meas utilitates in Euscio iuves, cuius modestia ita negotiis nostris aderit, ut famae iudicis nihil deroget. vale. lu IIII a. 398—401? AD DIONYSIVM. lamdudum te mihi et morum et medicinae fama commendat. hortatu igitur lau- dis utriusque amicitiae tuae manum porrigo et te sponte ad fidem nostrae familiari- tatis invito. dabit autem tibi iudicii mei non mediocre documentum, quod his, quos 15 erudiendos misimus art^' medicinae, praeceptor adhiberis. repende igitur mihi pignus mutuae voluntatis et suscipe in discipKnam medendi, quos et fidei tuae et honestati Euscio tradente committimus. vale. V a. 398—401 i AD AVXENTIVM. 20 Amicitias inter nos, cum Romae ageres, inchoatas munere scriptionis adcumulo, ut fidem tibi animi mei faciat conlati in absentem pignus officii. tuam circa nos di- ligentiam privatim litterarum vicissitudo, publice forensis pro Euscio cura testabitur. vale. VI a. 398—401. 26 Actores absentium, quibus res longinqua committitur, tamquam soluti legibus vi- vunt, quoniam procul positis nullus dominorum terror incurrit. opus est igitur iudi- ciali vigore, ut locationibus adscripta persolvant. quare quaeso, ut suggestiones no- tarii mei, cui adhibenda nonnulla ad praetoriam functionem et debita ab obnoxiis 30 servis eruenda mandavi, iuvare digneris et vicem sollicitudinis meae in curam tuam recipere non recuses. vale. ciae F2 3 te] tu (77) 4 mutoam (77) hiberis (/7) -. . . 26 inicriplionem om, (/"), Ad Garterium (77), fortasae avpplendum: Ad Vincentium, c/*. p. 237, 2, ut in n idem mendum fuiste sumamua, quod p, 221, 15 27 committitur] /*, remittitur (77) 28 do- mlnorum] Ritter$hu9iu8f damnoram r[II) 30 fort, adquirenda vn. AD CARTERIVM. F Pro filio meo Auxentio parentis religionem, petitoris ambitum, fidem testis in me recepi. si qaid igitur tantarom remm auctoritas apud te ponderis habet, admitte 5 quaeso in familiam tuam iuvenem cunctis vitae bonis et fortunae muneribus excultum. vadem me tibi in omnia spondeo, quae solet parentum soUicitudo trutinare. licet noverim futuros generos moribus aestimari, attamen huic post omamenta naturae etiam census ad honestatem redundat. possem de eo copiosius loqui, sed non vult 2 veritas verbis iuvari. quare si tibi videor non inanis adsertor. perpende hominem de 10 testimonio meo et ei, quem pignoribus meis libenter adnumero, dignare filiae tuae respondere coniugium. credas velim, cum vota processerint, interventui meo non mi- norem te gratiam, qui rogaris, habitumm, quam istum, quem commendo. vale. vm. AD POMPEIANVM. /T 15 Arguere diutnmum silentium meum non potes, qui me in sacro comitatu hactenus fuisse didicisti; unde nuper regressus honorificentiam dicendae salutationis exerceo. vicissitudo testabitur, quod paginam meam libenter acceperis. interea commendo scripta reddentem. mihi enim proficiet, si quid suggestioni eius favoris inpenderis. vale. 20 vnn. AD VINCENTIVM. F Probo homines ad clientelam tuam pertinere cupientes — nam quaedam scintilla sapientiae est, virtutum luminibus adplicari — , et ideo amici mei Zenodori laudabilem volnntatem commendatione non difibro enndemque in domus tuae sacrarium tamquam 26 mystagogus indnco. fac quaeso, ut et meo studio et ipsius voto impetratio prompta respondeat. vale. X. AD LEPORIVM. Fortunae telo graviter sauciatus nunc primum epistulae maesta verba committo; 30 neque enim diu ab ofGcio debui temperare , cum tanti vulneris dolor nnlia temporis diutumitate possit aboleri. salutato igitur te simul amicissimum meum Silvanum et tamen F 8 etiam om, F^ incenso F^ 1 m, 9 uitas F^ 1 m. uerbis] Lypaitu, om. F habiturum] (/"), om, F commendo] /7, committo F(r) datione] UF^, commendari F^ fort. non desero 25 mystagogus] Lypaku, mystagogum F^, mixta- gogum F^ impetrato F^, intratio F^ 1 m, 8oluto Fi igitur] ergo Fi Siluanum] «S* F^ i 238 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE F diligentiae ttuie promptus commendator insinuo ; qui refovendi patrimonii mei gratia laboriosam peregrinandi necessitatem recepit, eoqne dignior est boni cuiusque suffragio 2 ullis edictis designationem per- sonarum videmus expressali, sed principalibus et tabulariis liberum est, alios a dis- pendio vindicare, aliis indebitum munus inponere. unde quaeso, ut hanc partem et & nostrae utilitatis et tuae landiB consideratione discutias. postulant enim capitulani taxationem tironis ab hominibus meis nulla super hoc publicae valic/itatis monumenta promcntes; unde mihi non miusta suspicio est, quod in excusationem sui aut suorum nostros quoque homines falsa adscriptione subdiderint. et ideo dignum est, ut pro- vincialibus vel edicto vel subscriptione tua instructio plena pandatur, ne tabulariorum lo et curialium vaga et libera exactio quaestum praestet licentiae. * vale. XI.