Letter 1005: You certainly imitate the style of Menippean Varro, but you surpass his talent.
Studium quidem Menippei Varronis imitaris, sed vincis ingenium. nam quae in
nostrates viros nunc nuper condis epigrammata, puto hebdomadon elogiis praenitere;
1 0 quod haec aeque sobriS, f ^^^ tamen castigata sunt, illa bono metallo cusa, tomo exigi
nescierunt. et duriorem materiam, nisi fallor, adniteris. ille Pythagoran, qui animas 2
in aetemitatem primus adserait, ille Platonem, qui deos esse persuasit, ille Aristotelen,
qui naturam bene loquendi in artem redegit, ille pauperem Curium, sed divitibus im-
perantem, ille severos Catones, gentem Fabiam, decora Scipionum, totumque illum
15 triumphalem senatum parca laude perstrinxit: tu mtuvam proximae aetatis inluminas.
difficile factu est, ut honor angustis rebus addatur. me quoque iubes versibus tuis 3
nonnulla subnectere. haud ita Flaccus tuus praecepit in illis poeticae artis edictis,
quomm hoc themini esse principium, ne humano capiti cervix equina iungatur.
malo itaque tibi contumacia negati officii quam inprudentia promissi operis displicere.
20 plura de hoc coram loquemur, quando hanc epistulam sequi paramus aut consequi.
tU' coepta perage et tam sollertis eloquii esto munificus : ego tibi ut linguae obsequia
nego. ita aurium commodabo.
V (II) ante a. 376.
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