News of the troubles in your honored family has reached me, and it worries some of the people I have met on my journey. I see now why you chose the quiet life of a scholar, away from Italy in Anatolia. You must be saddened to see your cousins, distantly related as they are, in constant turmoil with one another. (I narrowly escaped the battle at the Pontus Euxinus myself!) By the bye, you may soon have a reunion of your extended family after all: I heard a rumor from a merchant that Diocletian may actually bring his court to your city.
Meanwhile, however, I must say how impressive Rome and every part of the regions of the south remain--so impressive, in fact, that it is hard to believe Diocletian has not chosen to govern from here. It is true, some of the government buildings are in need of repair, even in the Forum. However, the attention to architectural design alone shows us why Rome has conquered the world and why we are right to have faith that the barbarians will never breach the frontiers. All you have to do is stand inside the Pantheon of Agrippa to absorb this. It was built by Hadrian--not Agrippa, did you know that?--more than 100 years ago (MacDonald 13ff). The Pantheon is a monument to perfect scale, the perfect square, the perfect circle, the perfect proportionate use of fine marble and gilded accessories. It is not simply "a monument with a dome: it is a dome. . . . It is beautiful by simple virtue of existing" (Jacquet 17). The statuary inside is also quite impressive--and subject to change, I believe, depending on who rules Rome.
Surrounded by such splendor, it is easy to see why Romans are so productive. For example, it is very early morning now, the perfect time for me to attend to my correspondence. My host, who is a lawyer, is busy dealing with personal matters such as household management, looking over accounts, giving orders to his subordinates--that kind of thing (Johnston). If his routine is the same today ...