Marcus Cornelius Fronto→Marcus Aurelius|c. 162 AD|Marcus Cornelius Fronto|From Rome (career hub)|To Rome (career hub)|AI-assisted
Fronto to Antoninus Augustus.
1. In your recent speech I observe that most things, as far as the thoughts go, are excellent; a very few are to be corrected to the extent of a single word; here and there something is too little marked by a fresh turn of expression. These points it has seemed better to write out piece by piece: for in this way you will more easily weigh each one separately and will have time enough to inspect them, since you are a man either busied with the discharge of very many duties or wearied by their performance.
2. Accordingly, in the opening section I have written to you both what I think has been excellently said by you and what I judge ought to be corrected. Be assured that I shall write the rest hereafter, out of my love for you. The first part, then, is wholly wonderful, packed with many weighty thoughts, among which there are outstanding ones where [...] are [...] if rightly [...] we judge.
3. What [...] of all [...] depraved and evil things, but [...] by none [...] and [...] in which kind Cato, where [...] but if you discourse at home [...] first [...] and of this kind [...] that these are outstanding [...] to be [...] moderate and [...] in some [...] that they are, if sparingly and with dignity toward [...] then a much weightier and more austere thought is appended -- if nothing -- of our opinion -- that we must do without elaboration and digression.
4. To be sure, you would read a book before the philosophers; you would attend in silence while the master expounds it; you would nod that you had understood; while others read, you yourself would for the most part doze; you would hear, "What is the first point? What is the second?"; you would count things long and at length; with the windows standing open men would labor at, "If it is day, it is light." Then you would depart free of care, having nothing to ponder or write up through the night, nothing to recite to a master, nothing to deliver, no hunting after a word, no adornment of a synonym, nothing to be turned alike out of the Greek into our own tongue. Against these men too my master Dionysius the Slender brought forward a tale composed with delicate art, about a dispute between the Vine and the Holm-oak tree.
5. The Vine set herself above the Holm-oak, because she produced the most delicious fruit for the banquets of men and the altars of Osiris: the same fruit sweet to eat, the same delightful to drink. Then she was adorned with more care than Queen Cleopatra, dressed more elegantly than beautiful Lais. Her tendrils were so lovely that from them were woven thyrsus-wands for Liber, a garland for Silenus, and chaplets for the Nymphs and the Bacchae. The Holm-oak, she said, was rough, fruitless, unlovely; it never produced anything good or pleasant except the acorn; with its own [...] di, but I now [...] berry [...] gathered together, likewise you, with what eloquence [...]
to Antoninus Augustus. 1. Most things in your late speech, as far as the thoughts go, I consider were excellent, very few required alteration to the extent of a single word; some parts here and there were not sufficiently marked with novelty of expression. I have thought it better to write to you on these points in detail, for so you will the more easily consider them separately and have time to look into them, being as you are busied with the actual discharge and wearied with the past performance of very many duties. 2. Well then I have written to tell you what I consider excellently said by you in your exordium, and what in my opinion needs alteration. Do not doubt that what I shall further write will be written in the spirit of my love for you. All the first part then is wonderfully fine, packed with many weighty thoughts, in which these stand out . . . . in which kind Cato . . . . if sparingly and with dignity . . . . then follows a much weightier and austerer thought if . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . circumstances so compel . . . . the one word specific— companion , the other figurative— artizan . Nor is there any connexion or relationship between these words. The ear therefore is offended by the inherent contrast obtruded upon it . . . . . . . . . . . . Sallust says . . . . "and one who had also wasted his patrimony manu ventre pene ." You see how much the writer has effected by the likeness in the form of the words, so that the last word though far from modest does not strike one as indecent: for the reason doubtless that two similar words precede it. But if on the other hand he had spoken the words thus: quique pene bona patria laceraverat , the obscenity attached to the words would be obvious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . must lack disposition and digression. 3. To be sure you would read a book to your philosopher; listen in silence while your master explained it; shew by nods that you understood him; while others were reading, you would yourself mostly sleep; would hear reiterated at length and often What is the first premiss? What is the second? with windows wide open hear the point laboured, If it is day, it is light. Then you would take your departure without a care, as one who had nothing to think over or write up the whole night long, nothing to recite to a master, nothing to say by heart, no hunting up of words, no garniture of a single synonym, no parallel turning of Greek into our own tongue. Against them too did my master Dionysius the Slender indite a quite artistic apologue on a dispute between the Vine and the Holm-oak tree . 4. The vine vaunted herself above the holm-oak because she bore the most delicious of all fruits for the banquets of men and the altars of Osiris, alike sweet to eat and delightful to quaff. Then, again, she was arrayed with more care than queenly Cleopatra, with more taste than lovely Lais. So fair were her branches that from them were wound the thyrsus-wands for Liber, a garland for Silenus, and chaplets for the Nymphs and Maenads. But the holm-oak was rough, barren, unattractive, and never produced anything of any goodness or beauty except acorns . . . . . . . . . . . . Now I purposely end with fictions that, if I have said anything too severe, it may be softened down by being mingled with fictions.
1. In your recent speech I observe that most things, as far as the thoughts go, are excellent; a very few are to be corrected to the extent of a single word; here and there something is too little marked by a fresh turn of expression. These points it has seemed better to write out piece by piece: for in this way you will more easily weigh each one separately and will have time enough to inspect them, since you are a man either busied with the discharge of very many duties or wearied by their performance.
2. Accordingly, in the opening section I have written to you both what I think has been excellently said by you and what I judge ought to be corrected. Be assured that I shall write the rest hereafter, out of my love for you. The first part, then, is wholly wonderful, packed with many weighty thoughts, among which there are outstanding ones where [...] are [...] if rightly [...] we judge.
3. What [...] of all [...] depraved and evil things, but [...] by none [...] and [...] in which kind Cato, where [...] but if you discourse at home [...] first [...] and of this kind [...] that these are outstanding [...] to be [...] moderate and [...] in some [...] that they are, if sparingly and with dignity toward [...] then a much weightier and more austere thought is appended -- if nothing -- of our opinion -- that we must do without elaboration and digression.
4. To be sure, you would read a book before the philosophers; you would attend in silence while the master expounds it; you would nod that you had understood; while others read, you yourself would for the most part doze; you would hear, "What is the first point? What is the second?"; you would count things long and at length; with the windows standing open men would labor at, "If it is day, it is light." Then you would depart free of care, having nothing to ponder or write up through the night, nothing to recite to a master, nothing to deliver, no hunting after a word, no adornment of a synonym, nothing to be turned alike out of the Greek into our own tongue. Against these men too my master Dionysius the Slender brought forward a tale composed with delicate art, about a dispute between the Vine and the Holm-oak tree.
5. The Vine set herself above the Holm-oak, because she produced the most delicious fruit for the banquets of men and the altars of Osiris: the same fruit sweet to eat, the same delightful to drink. Then she was adorned with more care than Queen Cleopatra, dressed more elegantly than beautiful Lais. Her tendrils were so lovely that from them were woven thyrsus-wands for Liber, a garland for Silenus, and chaplets for the Nymphs and the Bacchae. The Holm-oak, she said, was rough, fruitless, unlovely; it never produced anything good or pleasant except the acorn; with its own [...] di, but I now [...] berry [...] gathered together, likewise you, with what eloquence [...]
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.