Letter 2018: A familiar greeting customarily precedes a personal letter, but I am more eager to wish you well in my heart than to...

Familiar conversation is accustomed to send a general greeting ahead of it. This greeting I strive more earnestly to wish for you in my prayers than to express it with my pen. Therefore, in place of the customary words, let me embrace matters worth your knowing. Our sons even now linger in their grandmother's lap. Grant me pardon [...the following lines are garbled and consist chiefly of manuscript collation notes and apparatus, not letter text...]. [...] and meanwhile, while your household goes without you, it tenaciously holds fast to the second comfort of an age and a likeness that is its own; yet for the one of them we prepare the equipment for a journey, for the other a fellowship of military service. That you regard travel as a hardship, I heard with reluctance; for, since I judged that your dignity counted such things as worth little, I gave you scant credit when you possess the goods of your homeland and the joys of your children's pledges within the regard of an excellent prince. Wherefore set aside those Baian musings and that fastidiousness ill-suited to manly virtue. Your household here is more cheerful amid every ease. Let us embrace, I urge, military service under a loving emperor. Farewell. [Book XVIII, year 382-383.] Symmachus to his brother Flavianus. May a happy outcome so smile upon my prayers for you, as I bear it heavily that Hephaestio, made known to me through you and approved by you, has met with I know not what bitterness. And since the contemplation of your virtues makes me apply myself to his fortune, a matter which carries less weight with you, I, turning to entreaties, ask that you answer to yourself and have regard for your reputation. Render this to our fellowship, render it to your own judgment, that patience not be wanting to you, even if to him moderation was wanting. I would not have you seem, out of contempt for your friend, to give satisfaction to a certain man lately returned to Rome, whose complaint among us has increased your glory. Surely Eusebius, the most able of physicians and most obliging, handed over to you by me and well-suited to soothe offenses, will now be able to temper bitter matters; and of his skill I make two pledges: that neither will the right measure be wanting to Hephaestio, nor solace to you. Farewell. [Book XIX, year 382-383.]

Solet generalem salutationem familiaris sermo praemittere. hanc ego impensius 30 tibi voto optare studeo quam stilo dicere. ergo ad vicem verbomm sollemnium scitu digna conplectar. filii nostri in sinu aviae etiam nunc morantur. da veniam^ si annis probastis V 13 nostiB V uerecundia V diligis] ego^ diligens PVM 14 accedere] PSm.^ adcidere P I m.y acddere F, adici M 15 muculum V pl^na Af, plenum PV 16 cirsa V tufam P 17 uale add. VM naUlis VF, natalis DP iubenls P 1 m, 25 eat a te P exanimi P 1 m. 26 nale add. V 28 om. VM 29 mittere hanc — 30 studeo quam om. P 1 m. 4% 8YMMACHI EPISTVLAE PVM f^avi» et inierim ^>lacio tao carenH femiiia tenaciter retinet seeiuidom leyamen aevi 2 ae ^ilitadinif» ffoae, n<m tamen alteri eomm yiae instmmenta, alteri in eoeietatem CiniMilii cimiitem praeparamojs. tibi peregrinationem eenio esse, inyitns andiyi yel, quml cHt dif^tu digiiia^i pamm credidi, cnm patriae bona et pignemm gandia in optimi prindpi» di^iatione poHffidea». qnare abiee Baianas cogitationes et yirtnti infraetno- & Mam (|ai(dU;m. omni otio laW hic tnoB laetior est. amplectamnr moneo sab amante militiam, yale. X\Tn a. 3S2— 3S3. HY MMACHVS FLAVIANO FRATRI. Ita yoti» in te meiB felix eyentns adrideat, nt ego grayiter fero fratrem Hephae- lo ntionem \)er te mihi cognitum, per ge probatnm nescio qaid amaritadinis incidisse. et qaia virtatam taaram contemplatio facit, nt illias fortnnae adplicem, qnod apnd te minore momento cst, ad preces versns, ot tibi respondeas famamqne cogites, rogo. 2 pracHta hoc contaberaio, praesta iadicio tuo, ut tibi non desit patientia, si illi modns dcfuit. nolo videaris dcRpectu amici satisfacere caidam nuper Romam regresso, cnius i^ apud nos (|uerella auxit gloriam tuam. certe Eusebius medicomm potissimus obse- (|ui(», tuo a me traditus et ad leniendas oportunus offensas iam poterit amara con- diro; de cuius faectiis duo spondeo, nec Hephaestioni temperamentum nec tibi defuta- rum esse solacium vale. XVnn a. 382—383. jo