Letter 9021: Even if the inhuman distance of Pontus makes you forgetful of me, I will not return the favor.

Ennodius to Helpidius. Even though Pontic incivility makes you forgetful of me, it is nevertheless not fitting for me to imitate what I find fault with. You flew away from the city of Milan like Icarus, and did not even think me worthy of a parting greeting. So do those behave whom an unexpected fellowship joins to the sides of the powerful. The fly that is about to die is in the right; but if by nature you cannot, let yourself be invited to affection by my example: others may prove more useful to you on account of an abundance of resources, yet they cannot be sweeter. But I return to a consideration of your homeland, to which you owe forgetfulness of your goods and the wretchedness under which you labor. Now therefore, having paid you the honor of a greeting, I have dispatched your servant for this purpose, that he might announce to your son the lord prefect and to you, in the name of Christ, that I have received the lawful documents concerning that suburban estate, so that you, together with that lord of yours Triggua, may not omit to do what you judge necessary. [The remainder of the line is a closing flourish.]

XXI. ENNODIVS HELPEDIO. Etsi te inmemorem mei Pontica facit inhumanitas, me tamen imitari non decet quod accuse. sic de ciuitate Mediolanensi quasi Icarus auolasti et nec mandati me salutatione dignatus es. sic faciunt quos potentum lateribus iungit inopinata sodalitas. Musca moritura iustum est, at si per naturam non potes, ad affectum meo inuiteris exemplo: possunt tibi alii pro abundantia facultatum utiliores existere, esse tamen non ualent dulciores. sed redeo ad considerationem patriae tuae, cui debes bonorum obliuionem et miseriam qua laboras. nunc ergo honore salutationis inpenso seruum tuum ad hoc direxi, ut filio tuo domno praefecto et tibi nuntiaret in Christi nomine, me 1 solatia BTV, aolata L inpendetis B tenue scripsi, tenuae B, tenuis P2Т2b, tenui LP1T1V praestolatnr Pb 2 ut cui] uaui (a ex ct cott.) L incambet B 4 eclesiae B sufficet B praecari scites B 5 iubentur B 6 quos et B s . L captiuos B 7 conditio BT cristianum B 8 praecatio B 10 gaudio] djo B remittates B XXI. 13 hilpidio BLV 15 imittari T1 deeit B adcaso B 16 hycarus LPV, hyrcarus B, hyrcarius T 17 potentium Sirm . 18 moritur B 19 effectum b et Sirm . tibi] obi B 20 eihistere B 21 tuae om. Sirm debis B 22 inseriam L, mea seriam B 23 dixeri L 16* de suburbano illo documenta legitima suscepisse, ut uos cum illo uestro domno Triggua quod necessarium uideris agere non omittas.I -: