Letter 100

The fact that I received no letter from you when the emperor entrusted me with reading his speech before the assembled Senate — I know that wasn't a slight on your part. A friendship that's good and well-tested can survive a lapse in correspondence without its foundations being shaken. That's why I've avoided retaliating in kind. I was afraid that what you'd done involuntarily, I'd appear to have done out of offense. The situations are entirely different: an accidental silence and a deliberate one. The same duty goes unfulfilled in both cases, yet it matters enormously whether a man skips it because he's overwhelmed with work or because he's angry. But I've said enough about that. Now, if you love me — or rather, because you love me — I trust the feeling is returned: go and convey my joy to the invincible emperors, who trusted their divine words to a human voice and whose victories the Senate heard proclaimed from my lips. Call to mind what it was for me on that day when I stepped, as if from the heart of a battle, and was the first to pour welcome tidings into all ears and hearts. Long ago, when Rome won military glory, the twin Pollux announced the victory at the pool of Juturna [the goddess of springs near the Forum, where the Dioscuri were said to have appeared after the battle of Lake Regillus], riding back foam-flecked with the battle left behind. That same honor has now been conferred on me by sacred imperial command. What the Castors gained by that, the emperors have now granted me. Speak of this on my behalf — more fully and more elegantly than I can, for your tongue is better than mine. You have the sum of my wishes; if you add any word of recommendation, the honor of your present office will join the other ornaments of your spirit.

Quod nuUas sumpsi litteras tuas, cum mihi a principibus aeternis legenda in con- 20 cilio patrum delegaretur oratio, scio non fuisse fastidii tui. nam bonae et exploratae amicitiae, vel si cesset officium, satis tutae aestimationes sunt. propterea talionem re- ferre vitavi veritus, ne quod tu invitus feceras, ego ofiFensus crederer reddidisse. longe enim diversa condicio est fortuiti quam adfectati silentii. res quidem una neglegitur, 2 plurimum tamen refert, quis eam quasi occupatus, quis quasi iratus omiserit. sed de 2& hoc satis habeo dictum. nunc, si me amas, vel quia me amas — nam referri mihi confido, quod defero — , contestare apud invictos principes gaudium meum, qui huma- nae voci divinas litteras crediderunt, quorum victorias ex mei oris promptario senatus audivit. fac veniat in mentem, quis ille mihi inluxerit dies, quo ego quasi ex media 3 profectus acie auribus et animis omnium salutarem nuntium primus infudi. olim cum 30 res Romana adoreae militaris potita est, PoUuces gemini apud lutumae lacum proelii secunda vulgarunt. eos quippe priscorum voluminum fides tradidit, anhelis equis 6 piestaturus P J m, 8 explicit ad antonium incipit ad gyagriuin P, om. VM 10 om. VM 11 in ooculta sitis te- stimoniis V 12 frustra sim si] V, frustra P 1 m.y frustrer P 2 m.^ frustrer si P3m.j fruster «♦« si M tute P 1 m. aestimationis 8use 23 reddidisset V 25 qnisque si iratus F(/^) 27 hu- mane P 1 m. 28 promtario V, promptuario M 30 salutarem P primis F, om. M 31 adorae aemiliUris P iutume P 1 m. proeliis P 1 m, VM 32 anheliis P plenos sndoris et pnlveris fama belli post tergnm relicta indicinm adfectasse victoriae. PVM idem nnnc mihi sacro indicio factns est honor. ita qnantnm gratiae Castores adepli snnt, tantnm principes praestitemnt. haec pro me copiosins et omatins, qnantnm es 4 lingnae melior, apnd anctorem beneficii proseqneris. habes snmmam volnntatis meae; 5 cni si qnid commendationis inspiraveris , ceteris omamentis animi tai adicietar decns praesentis officii. LXXXXVI (LXXXX) a. 376?