Sy'mmachus3. Q.AureliusSymmachus, who flourished towards the close of the fourth
century, and stood foremost among his contemporaries as a scholar, a statesman, and an orator.
Educated in Gaul (Symmach. Ep. 9.83), apparently at Bourdeaux or
Toulouse, in that age the most renowned seminaries in the world, in early life he became
devoted to the liberal arts. By his example and authority he, at a subsequent period, inspired
for a time new life and vigour into the literature of his country, which had long been wasting
by gradual decay, and seemed now to be fast approaching the hour of dissolution. Having
discharged the functions of quaestor and praetor, he was afterwards appointed (A. D. 365, Cod. Theod. 8. tit. 5. s. 25) Corrector of Lucania and the
Bruttii; in A. D. 373 (Cod. Theod. 12. tit. 1. s. 73; comp. Symmach.
Ep. 8.10, 10.3) he was proconsul of Africa, and became, probably about
the same time, a member of the pontifical college. His zeal for the ancient faith of Rome,
which exercised throughout life a marked influence on his character, checked for a while the
prosperous current of his fortunes, and involved him in danger and disgrace. For having been
chosen by the senate on account of his surpassing eloquence to remonstrate with Gratian on the
removal of the altar of victory (A. D. 382) from their council hall,
and on the curtailment of the sums annually allowed for the maintenance of the Vestal Virgins,
and for the public celebration of sacred rites, he was ordered by the indignant emperor to
quit the presence, and to withdraw himself to a distance of one hundred miles from Rome.
Nothing daunted by this repulse, when appointed praefect of the city (A. D.
384) after the death of his persecutor, he addressed an elaborate epistle to
Valentinianus again urging the restoration of the pagan deities to their former honours. The
application was again unsuccessful, but did not upon this occasion prove personally injurious
to the promoter, who was, however, soon exposed to a hazard still more perilous than any which
he had previously encountered. In consequence of the hostile feelings which he naturally
cherished against Gratian, he had always sympathised with Maximus, by whom that prince had
been conquered and slain. When the pretender was threatening (A. D.
387) to invade Italy his cause was openly advocated by Symmachus, who upon the arrival
of Theodosius was impeached of treason, and forced to take refuge in a sanctuary. Having been
speedily pardoned through the intercession of numerous and powerful friends he expressed his
contrition and gratitude in an apologetic address to the conqueror, by whom he was not only
freely forgiven, but was received into favour and elevated to the consulship in A. D. 391, and during the remainder of his life he appears to have taken
an active part in public affairs. The date of his death is unknown, but one of his letters
(7.50) was written as late as A. D. 402, and he was certainly alive
when the poem of Prudentius, usually assigned to A. D. 404, was
published. His personal character seems to have been unimpeachable, as he performed the duties
of the high offices which he filled in succession with a degree of mildness, firmness, and
integrity, seldom found among statesmen in that corrupt age. The charge vaguely
preferred, and unsupported by any distinct evidence, that he abused his power when chief
magistrate of Rome, in order to oppress the Christians, seems totally destitute of foundation.
That his leisure hours were devoted exclusively to literary pursuits, seems evident from the
numerous allusions in his epistles to the studies in which he was engaged, and his friendship
with Ausonius and other distinguished authors of that epoch proves that he delighted in
associating and corresponding with the learned. His wealth must have been prodigious, for in
addition to his town mansion on the Caelian Hill (Ep. 3.12, 88, 7.18),
and several houses in the city which he lent to his friends, he possessed upwards of a dozen
villas in the most delightful parts of Italy, many detached farms. together with estates in
Sicily and Mauritania. The following inscription contains a list of his honours and titles as
recorded by his son : -- Q. AUR. SYMMACHO. V. C.
QUAEST. PRAET. PONTIFICI. MAIORI. CORRECTORI. LUCANIAE. ET. BRITTIORUM. COMITI. ORDINIS.
TERTII. PKOCONS. AFRICAE. PRAEF. URB. COS. ORDINARIO. ORATORI. DISSERTISSIMO. Q. FAB. MEM.
SYMMACHUS. V. C. PATRI. OPTIMO.
Works
The extant works of Symmachus consist of letters and fragments of speeches.
I.
Epistolarum Libri X.Epistolarum Libri X., published after his death by his son.
The last book contains his official correspondence, and is chiefly composed of the letters
presented by him when praefect of the city to the emperors under whom he served. The
remaining books comprise a multitude of epistles, many of then notes extending to a few
lines only, addressed to a wide circle of relations, friends, and acquaintances. They relate
for the most part to matters of little moment, and notwithstanding the praises so liberally
lavished by Politian and Laetus, are, taken as a whole, uninteresting and destitute of
value. The style is elaborated with great and painful diligence. Pliny was the object
proposed for imitation, and we are presented with a stiff copy of a stiff model, in which
the degenerate taste and decaying Latinity of the fourth century are engrafted on the solemn
pedantry and cold affectation of the original. We must, however, make an exception in favour
of the most highly finished and important piece in the collection, the celebrated epistle "
DDD. Valentiniano, Theodosio et Arcadio semper Auggg.," entreating them to restore the Altar
of Victory to its ancient position in the senate house. This document, whether we consider
the judicious choice of the arguments employed, the skilful arrangement according to which
they succeed and mutually support each other, the art with which they are developed, the
pointed energy with which they are enforced, and at the same time the tone of moderation and
liberality which pervades the whole, impresses us with deep admiration of the genius,
learning, dialectic acuteness, and eloquence of the author, who seems to have lacked nothing
but a good cause for the display of his talents. Notwithstanding the folly and falseness of
the doctrines which he advocates, this state paper is infinitely superior as a literary
composition and a work of art to the well-known reply of St. Ambrosius, which is verbose,
abusive, and not always honest.
II.
Novem Orationum Fragmenta.Although we were told by Socrates (H. E. 5.14) and Callixtus (Hist. 12.21) that Symmachus had published many speeches which were greatly
admired (ἄγαν ἀρίστους, not a single remnant of
these was known to exist until very recently, when Mai discovered in one of the palimpsests
of the Ambrosian library, fragments of eight orations, and subsequently in another portion
of the same palimpsest, deposited in the Vatican, some additional fragments of these eight
and also a portion of a ninth. The titles are,
1.
Laudes in Valentinianum seniorem Augustum I. We have twenty-three short chapters nearly entire; the beginning and the end of the
speech are both wanting.
2.
Laudes in Valentinianum seniorem Augustum II. Extending to twenty chapters, in which there are several blanks and imperfections; the
beginning and the end are wanting.
3.
Laudes in Gratianum Augustum. Extending to twelve chapters interrupted by two blanks; the beginning and the end are
wanting.
4.
Laudes in Patres. Extending to four chapters ; the beginning and the end are wanting.
5.
Oratio pro Patre, returning thanks for the elevation of his father to the consulship. Ten chapters,
interrupted by one blank; the beginning and the end both wanting.
6.
Oratio pro Trygetio, recommending the son of his friend Trygetius for the praetorship (see Ep. 1.44). Four chapters ; the beginning and the end both wanting.
7.
Oratio pro Synesio, recommending the elevation of Synesius, the son of his friend Julianus, to the dignity
of a senator (see Ep. 5.43). Seven chapters interrupted by a blank,
the portion which follows the third chapter having been obtained from the Vatican MS. We
have here the commencement of the speech.
8.
Oratio pro Flavio Severo. Four chapters; the beginning and the end both wanting.
9.
Oratio pro Valerio Fortunato, on behalf of a high-born but poor individual who was unable to defray the expenses
incurred by officers of the state. Five chapters; the beginning and the end are both
wanting.
Assessment
It will be seen that the above are all of a panegyrical or complimentary character, and
while they exhibit considerable command of language and grace of expression, do not afford
an opportunity for the development of oratorical powers of a high order.
Lost Orations
We may gather from notices in the epistles and in other writers the arguments of several
lost orations, such as Panegyricus Theodosii senioris (Ep. 2.13.); Panegyricus Maximi tyranni (Socrat. H. E. 5.14,
comp. Ep. 2.31); Oratio de abroganda censura (Ep.
4.29, 45, 5.9); Oratio de Polybii filio (Ep. 4.45); Oratio contra Gildonem, (Ep. 4.4); Gratiarum actio (Ep. 7.50.
This, as Mai suggests, was perhaps not an oration but an epistle, comp. Ep. 2.22, 3.81 ).
Fragments
The fragments of the eight speeches were first published by Angelo Mai, 8vo.
Mediolan. 1815, in a volume which was reprinted, page for page, at Frankfort, 8vo.
1816, and they will be found appended to Niebuhr's edition of Fronto, 8vo.
1816.
The extended fragments, comprising the additions to the eight speeches, and the remains
of the ninth obtained from the Vatican MS., are contained in the Scriptorum
Veterum Nova Collectio e Vaticanis Codicibus edita ab Angelo Maio, 4to. Rom.,
1825, vol. i.; see also Meyer, Orator. Roman.
Fraoymenta, pp. 627-636, 2d ed.
Poetry
Symmachus composed in verse as well as prose, among other productions a poetic history of
Bauli. See the lines in Ep. 1.1.
Fragment from an historical work
Jornandes (de Rebus Get. 15) quotes a long passage from an historical
work by Symmachus, but it is extremely doubtful whether this Symmachus is the same person
with the Symmachus we have now been discussing.
Editions
The editio princeps of the epistles of Symmachus, which contains but a small number of
letters, was printed in 4to., by Bartholomaeus Cynischus of Ameria, and although without date
or name of place, is known to have been published during the pontificate of Pope Julius II.,
that is, A. D. 1503-1513. The second
edition, 4to. Argentorat. 1510, is also very imperfect; but in those printed at
Basle, 8vo. 1549, Paris, 4to. 1580, and by Vignon and his heirs, 1587, 1598, and 1601, the
collection was gradually enlarged from MSS., until it attained to its present magnitude. No
really good edition of these letters has yet appeared, but the most useful for general
purposes are those of Juretus, 4to. Paris, 1604, and of Scioppius, 4to. Mogunt. 1608.