Letter 1020: Sicily's provincial assembly has sent Ambrosius, one of the leading men of the provincial bar, to our lords and...
Ambrosium de summatibus provincialis fori ad dominos et principes nostros Siciliae
30 commune legavit variis instructum mandatis, quae spectare visa sunt bonum publicum.
huic si fautor accesseris, futurum reor, ut illi pro labore fructus adcommodet. quaeso
igitur vel legationis merito vel meo nomine in optimum virum bene consulas, qui satis
animi confirmatus est, suffragio tuo successuram facilitatem petitionibus promovendis.
2 plennm deUt Mommaen genas] VFMy pectus (/7) noscltnr] VFj n&scitnr M(II) 3 so-
hil /7 colos] {r), colns /7(7^), color VM 4 nin^icias J7, indicia^ V, inditU M sentiendi] /7,
sciendl VM qnod] (Z7), qni VM 5 htec] nec 77 credidistl V 7 et] ego, om. FAf(/7)
8 qnU] VrM, quonitm (77) nolnpUtem r(i7)
litteris qnas (77), nt de coeptiB litteramm stndiis epistnlis, qnas Mommun 12 uel sorores scribam V
nt — 13 snnt 'om. (77) 13 actnnm /7 ratione qnae V 14 dintins me (77) atqne habere
om. (IT) 18 retitendo 77 19 famam debnit (77) 22 dicis] VM(r), dices (77)
28 Symmachns-Ansonio] (77), om, VM 30 nariis instrnctnm] (77), instructnm uariis VM 31 ad-
commodet] T^, aocommodet FAf, accommodent (77)
2*
12 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
XVIII (XU) a. 378.
Related Letters
Ambrose, Bishop, to the Emperor Gratian.
It is your lot to share my distress, and to do battle on my behalf. Herein is proof of your manliness. God, who ordains our lives, grants to those who are capable of sustaining great fights greater opportunity of winning renown.
I am delighted at your remembering me and writing, and, what is yet more important, at your sending me your blessing in your letter. Had I been but worthy of your labours and of your struggles in Christ's cause, I should have been permitted to come to you and embrace you, and to take you as a model of patience. But since I am not worthy of this,...
...so that we may hear good news of your health and your affairs, and pass this short time we plan to spend in...
When I was surveying in writing the civil and military achievements of our lord Theodosius [Emperor Theodosius I, r.