M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
to that eminent man, his father, did you not know him for yourself, I could not praise him highly enough. Nor could I escape having said a great deal too little, though I said ever so much. Verily I should love the son of my Statianus, whatever he were, just as by heaven I should hold dear the father of my Faustinianus, whatever he were. Now, however, I do not know which of the two endears me more to the other, save that I love each of them more dearlv, the one for the sake of the other.
How great are my cares . . . . and I should much prefer the guardianship of our native country to be strengthened than my own interests. Wherefore my advice to you is to choose for your patrons, and send resolutions to that effect to, those who at present stand highest at the bar—Aufidius Victorinus, whom you will have on your burgess-roll if the Gods favour my designs, for I have betrothed my daughter[2] to him, nor could I have better consulted the interests either of myself in the matter of posterity or of my daughter in the matter of her whole life, than when I chose such a son-in-law, a man of such character and great eloquence; Servilius Silanus also, an excellent and most eloquent man, you will have as your patron by burgess right, since
- ↑ Fronto was born at Cirta, now Constantine, in Numidia. Triumvirs, also in some cases quattuorviri iuri dicundo, were the chief magistrates of municipia. Colonies, such as Cirta, usually had duumviri.
- ↑ Gratia.
- ↑ sc. Cirtensibus. The title is from the Index, as two pages are lost here. The letter which preceded this one was also to the Triumvirs of Cirta (Index, Naber, p. 189; Ambr. 292, col. 2).
