Letter 1023: Our ancestors did well and wisely — as was their way in so many things — when they built the temples of Honor and...

Well and wisely did our ancestors, as in other matters of that age, devise to place the temples of Honor and Virtue [Honos and Virtus] joined together with twin frontage, signifying that, as we have seen in your case, the rewards of honor lie there where the merits of virtue are. But indeed for this very reason the worship of the Camenae [the Muses] too is turned toward a sacred spring, because the path to attaining the magistracies is often advanced by letters. These institutions of our forefathers are the proofs of your consulship, for whom a gravity of character and a long discipline in learning have brought forth the emblem of the curule chair. Many hereafter will strive after the good arts, those true sisters of praise, and pure letters; but to whom will fall either so fortunate a pupil or so mindful a debtor? Or are we ignorant that that great man, on whom fortune flowed beyond his prayer, bestowed nothing on his teacher of Stagira [Aristotle]? [...] unless because to Ennius only a captive cloak, given as a gift from the Aetolian spoils, casts a shadow upon Fulvius; for indeed neither was the second of the Africani inferior to Panaetius, nor did Rutilius repay Opillus, nor Pyrrhus repay Cineas, nor Mithridates of Pontus repay his Metrodorus, with the prices due for a liberal education. But now a most learned emperor, lavish both of resources and of honors, as though he had conferred the first gifts upon you by way of interest, so does he ever return to the principal of the loan. Amid this so great joy of mine, with what words shall I wash away the fact that I cannot be present? I greatly fear, lest, misinterpreting my excuse, you should believe too little how much I congratulate you. I had wished

Bene ac sapienter maiores nostri, ut sunt alia aetatis illius, aedes Honori atque Virtuti gemella facie iunctim locarunt conmenti, quod in te vidimus, ibi esse praemia honoris, ubi sunt merita virtutis. sed enim propter etiam Camenarum religio sacro fontis advertitur, quia iter ad capessendos magistratus saepe litteris promovetur. haec 25 parentum instituta consulatus tui argumenta sunt, cui morum gravitas et disciplinarum 2 vetustas curulis sellae insigne pepererunt. multi posthac adnitentur artes bonas et laudis germanas et meras litteras, sed cui eveniet aut tam felix discipulus aut tam memor debitor ? an ignoramus magnum illum, cui supra votum fortuna fluxit, Stagiritae suo nihilum commodasse? fnisi quia Ennio ex Aetolicis manubiis captiva tantum chla- 30 mys muneri data Fnlvium decolorat: enim vero neque Panaetio Africanorum secundus 2 Symmachas Ausonlo] [II), om. VM 4 proquam] /^, plusqoam (i7}, pro at VM fagi II tibi om. (r) 5 ezprobem V item] Seioppiuiy idem F/V>,-iU M{II) est at (II) 6 sa- Btine n 8 iadicia] V, iadicii Af(i7) 9 bis etiam (U) intende {H) 10 solent V 12 Symmachas Aasonio] (Z7), om. VM 13 sai fldacia iStMe deserunt V 15 secios (II) »am] F(r), om. M(II) de] e (J7) 16 te om. (U) taae VM 17 placibilitas r^M(n) expereando (11)' probe] (27), prope V, proprie M 18 resedl] Oothofredus^ residi F(/7), resideo M alterim aenientis (II) 21 Symmachas Aasonio] (77), om. VM 23 airtate V facie om. (II) in H adnotatum fuU apieibua UHerarum legi: ianctis 24 camaenaram /^, caminaram /7, camminaram V et sacri fon- tis 8u$e 25 fonti (F) capissendos V{r) 27 posthaec (/7) 29 an] sin (F) 30 nisi qaia] V, nisi qaae prias Af, nisi qaod (//T), nisi Qainto Ennio Cuiacius, fortasie ne nOstro qaidem Ennio? 31 flaaiam V panetio VM secandas] socio (II) Deqne Opillo Bntilins vel Gineae Pyrrhns ant Metrodoro sno Mithridates Ponticus libera- VHfll linm disciplinamm pretia solvemnt. at nnnc emditissimns imperator et opnm largns et honomm, qnasi pro nsnra tibi prima detnlerit, ita semper ad sortem fenoris redit. in hac tanta laetitia mea, quibns verbis dilnam, qnod adesse non possnm? nimis vereor, 3 5 ne male interpretatns excnsationem meam, qnantnm tibi gratnler, pamm credas. optavi