Letter 2007: A matter close to my heart demands your assistance.
Fortunatum te cumprimis hoc in tempore iudicarem, quod exemptus patriae in-
commodis otiaris, nisi scirem bonos cives et tui similes gravius adversa ferre, quae
non vident. ea quippe rerum natura est, ut quidquid ab altero cognoscitur, asperius i&
et maius habeatur. adde, quod integer animus putat innocentiam suam minui, si
2 periculosis desit suorum. haec ego, non ut celerem reditum tibi suadeam, sed ut
noveris in communibus malis nihil esse, quod properes. quid enim iuvares curam
publicam, quamquam omnium prudentissimus , si redires? iam primum consilio locus
- nullus est, dum in deliberando persona censentium pondus sententiis facit. quando 20
resistitur potiori, quando ceditur pari? dehinc praesens status non sapientiam sed
3 fortunam requirit. defectum timemus annonae pulsis omnibus, quos exerto et pleno
nbere Roma susceperat. fac, ut his remediis convalescamus : quanto nobis odio pro-
vinciarum constat ista securitas? dii patrii, facite gratiam neglectorum sacrorum!
miseram famem pellite ! quamprimum revocet urbs nostra, quos invita dimisit ! plura 25^
tecum loqui, quam necesse est, de adversis communibus non libet. cura ut valeas, et
quidquid humana ope maius est, diis permitte curandum.
VIII a. 382.
Related Letters
Jerome writes to Paul of Concordia, a centenarian (§2), and the owner of a good theological library (§3), to lend him some commentaries. In return he sends him his life (newly written) of Paul the hermit. The date of the letter is 374 A.D.
I desired, when in Orphanene, to see your excellency; I had also hoped that while you were living at Corsagæna, there would have been nothing to hinder your coming to me at a synod which I had expected to hold at Attagæna; since, however, I failed to hold it, my desire was to see you in the hill-country; for here again Evesus, being in that ne...
Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol.
You have lived uprightly, acquired your wealth justly, and are slandered openly.
Grand requests require a preamble; for easy favors, there's no need for elaborate pleading.