Letter 9020: The honorable Severus has enlisted me in fulfilling his dearest wish.

Severus, an honorable man, has enlisted me as a helper in his wish and desire: and since I judged his petition to be reasonable, I ought not to refuse a letter so often demanded. The sum of his petition is of this kind, that you pledge a union of your daughter to his son. That this request will be easily obtained is promised by the equality of the persons and the suitability both in honorable standing and in means. I await, therefore, that your reply may declare that my testimony has had force with you. Farewell. [The manuscript here carries a block of editorial apparatus, that is, scholarly notes on textual variants in the manuscripts (the readings of witnesses designated F and others); these are not part of the letter and are omitted.] To Caecilianus. How much adornment Lucillus, once a painter, added to my house, you, together with the chief among my friends, surely know. His son, set far off indeed by his nature and by [...] [a gap; text uncertain], an unjust [...] disturbs him, a dispute having arisen between a certain accountant and an Opinator [an official charged with provisioning] long ago of the colonist [tenant farmer] of the aforesaid landholder, who [...] of earlier times reckonings [...] to turn into Lucillus's losses [...] I ask, not as a favor, although by my intervention an addition even of my wish and zeal is owed. And in the first place I request that the house of a most modest man, dwelling far away through public duties and ranks, be kept safe; and next, that if there is any matter of contention between them, it be settled by your examination, lest at some time the inquiry, reserved for another judge, beget a recurring injury for Lucillus's son. To Apollodorus. [years 399-400] Quintus and Felix, town councillors of the people of Hippo, obtained this letter from me by the intervention of men of the highest standing: for I was bound to estimate the uprightness of these men from their witnesses. It is therefore in the interest of our friendship that the hope of those who believed me strong for obtaining their request should not appear deceived. Wherefore, if their advantage requires anything of these things, add kindness to justice. For I believe that such things are to be requested as discredit neither the petition of the one interceding nor the judgment of the one granting. To Maximilianus. I signify that I am well according to my wish; I desire that favorable things be at hand for you. After this I request of you what you would have done of your own spontaneous kindness, that you dismiss the contractor of my Sicilian estate, as he returns to the province, with a swift passage to his appointed destinations. [To ... / Letter LIII (L)] There can be no weariness of constant writing. I perform, therefore, the duty of speaking a greeting to you, and at the same time I urge and entreat that you not be reluctant to take care of my people. To them not only is the confidence of suggesting to be granted, if any need requires it, but also the necessity is to be applied. For this is the nature of slaves, that they fear to approach those about to speak [on their behalf], while they dread that their own fault may be detected. [The manuscript again carries a block of editorial apparatus on textual variants, which is not part of the letters and is omitted.] [Book VIII concludes here; the heading of a further letter, Liber LIIII (LI), of the year 402(?), follows but no text of it is present.]

Voto ac desiderio suo me adiutorem Severus vir honestus adscivit: cuius cum petitionem probabilem iudicassem, totiens flagitatas litteras negare non debui. summa autem petitionis huiusmodi est, ut filio eius coniunctionem filiae tuae spondeas. cuius rei impetrationem facilem fore, personarum promittit aequatio et honestate et possi- 25 bilitate congruitas. expecto igitur, ut responsio tua testimonium meum vires apud te habuisse declaret. vale. om. F{r) 2 debite redigionis F^ uoluntarie F saepius onerasti] i7, saepe superasti F 5 uirorum ttncU indusi, uirtutum luretui te quaeso amicitias F, amicitias quaeso te (77) 6 Fla- uiani] •F* secnndum F^ quem] qm (i. e. quoniam) F^ parentis uernm (/7)F1*3 parentes uerum F^, sttppU: parentis adfectione vel simile quid 7 testes F^ iupra amore add. F^ 1 m. honore amore tuo et om. (II) 8 sacri] sic F^ tui post beneflcii inser, F^ 9 sit] (/7)F3, om. F«.« est equum F2 ut] (/7)F», om. F^-^F) quem] qm F» 10 uestra] (/7), tua F uale om. F» 12 homine] (7*), homiuibus (i7) 14 hornm «««««««««« militaribus] i;II), horum domus uiris mili- taribus luretiu Seuerus uir honestus me adiutorem adsciuit F^, «S* u (i. e. ubi) honestus me adiutorem assiuit F^, secnrus uir honestus me ad tutorem asciuit F^ 23 toties flagitatas (77), flagitatas totiens F\ totiens om. (/'jF**' compassibUiUte F^ 26 congruitas] FU2^ congruitis 77rF3 meum] nostrnm F3 27 declarat F^ uale om, F^ LIBER VUII. 251 L (XXXXVH) . AD CAECILIANVM. n Quantnm domui meae cultum Lucillus quondam pictor adiecerit, cum potissimis amicorum nosse te certum est. huius filium , per naturam quidem et per 5 necessitatem procul positum, bus ininstav sollieitat, orto certamine inter nu- merarium quendam et Opinatorem dudam supradicti possessoris eolonum, qui supe- riorum temporum ratiocinia in Lucilli vertere damna nicum posco, non gratiam , licet interventui meo etiam voti et studii accessio debeatur. et primo loco postulO) ut domus viri pudentissimi longeque degentis per officia publica et ordines 10 tuta praestetur, dehinc, ut si quid inter illos decertationis est, tuo fcedatur examini, ne quando alteri iudici servata cognitio recidivam Lucilli filio gignat iniuriam. LI (XXXXVni) a. 399—400. ^POLLODORO. Quintus et Felix Hipponensium curiales has de me litteras summatibus yiris 15 intervenientibus impetrarunt: debui enim probitatem hominum de testibus aestimare. interest igitur amicitiae nostrae, ne spes eorum, qui me ad impetrationem validum crediderunt, decepta videatur. quare si quid eorum poscet utilitas, benignitatem adde iustitiae. credo enim talia esse poscenda, quae nec intervenientis petitionem nec praestantis iudicium decolorent. 10 Ln (xxxxvini). MAXIMILIANO. Me ex sententia valere significo, tibi secunda opto suppetere. post haec de te postulo, quod spontanea benignitate fecisses, ut conductorem rei meae Siciliensis ad provinciam revertentem celeri transcursu ad destinata dimittas 25 Lm (L). Adsiduae scriptionis nullum potest esse fastidium. fungor igltur apud te salute UF dicenda simulque hortor et deprecor, ut hominum meorum curam gerere non graveris. quibus non solum tribuenda est fiducia, si quid usus desideret, suggerendi, verum etiam necessitas admovenda. haec est enim natura servomm, ut adire metuant pro- 30 faturos, dum culpam suam metuunt deprehendi. 3 meae] (F)^ tnae (/7) 4 nosse] (r*), nosce (77) quidem et per (//), laeunam indieavi 5 positnm bns ininsta sollicita tortu /*, positum iniusta sollicita certo (//) 6 quendam] F, quondam (//) dudum] (/7), totnm F 7 in Lucilli uertere damna nicum «««*««*«« posco] Fy in Lucilli ********* poaco (II) 9 at] ego, om, (//) pudentissimi] (/^, prudentissimi (//) 10 cedatur examini] (//), caedator examine (/*), cedat examini KieuUng, sedetar examine luretuty credatur examini Ltctius^ decidatur examine eod, Bertinianu» (?) diderint (//) transcarsa repetit (F) punetia epi$tulam elaudit (II) enim] (/7)F3, om. FUS 30 dampna sua F^ uale add. FLS 32* 252 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE Lim (LI) a. 402?