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When I facilitated Pudentilla’s gift to her sons, Pontianus, unlike his brother Pudens, came to me and apologized for listening to Rufinus. He asked me to clear his name with governor Lollianus Avitus in Carthage, to whom I had recommended Pontianus as a candidate for oratorical apprenticeship. I did so, and Lollianus wrote back in most eloquent and kind terms. I will now read aloud Lollianus’s letter to me.

(1)

hoc: the fact that Apuleius helped secure the gift to Pudentilla's sons.

Rufinum: direct object of the participle execrātī.

mē laudibus tulēre: "praised me to the skies" (Jones). 

(2)

Vēnerat: subject is Pontiānus.

dōnātiōnem: it was put in writing, see 102.8.

perficeret: subject is Pudentilla, "before she could (even) finish," but, presumably, after enough had transpired to make Pontianus aware of her intentions.  Hunink supposes that Apuleius is making a point that Pontianus asked for forgiveness before even learning of the gifts, so as not to paint the deceased as having a mercenary nature.

dissimilī: right at the beginning of the section, a clear distinction is drawn between the two brothers. From now on, Pontianus is the good, repenting son, whereas Pudens is the bad son, who turns away from his mother (Hunink).

cum ... istō frātre suō: "with that brother of his," disdainful.

pedēs nostrōs advolūtus: passive with middle force, "having thrown himself at our feet," a common phrase describing an act of supplication.

praeteritōrum omnium: objective genitive with veniam et oblīviōnem, "of (= for) all (the things which he had done in the) past."

postulārat: postulāverat.

paenitēre: supply sē as a direct object of the impersonal paenitēre in indirect statement after dīcēns: "that it caused him regret," "that he regretted."

quod ... auscultārit: = auscultāverit, "(the fact) that he had listened to." According to the sequence of tenses, Apuleius should have strictly used a pluperfect subjunctive here: he may have naturally slipped into the primary sequence because of the present tense of the infinitives in the indirect statement.

(3)

Petit ... utī: "he asked that."

Lolliānō quoque Avītō: "to Lollianus Avitus, too," as well as being cleared in the eyes of Apuleius himself.

clarissimō virō: a man of consular rank, LS clarus II.B.

Apuleius is eager to include references to social status; see also 62.4 splendidissimus eques. Here it must be intended to add weight to the case against Aemilianus, as may also be deduced from the repetition in the following clarissimam (Hunink).

utī se ... pūrgem: "that I excuse him to," "that I clear his name with," + dat.

tīrōciniō ōrātiōnis suae: "for his oratorical apprenticeship." Evidently Apuleius had recommended him to Lollianus Avitus.

Pontianus was starting his career as an orator, probably in the function of a lawyer in court. Apuleius had probably followed the same path before he became famous for his epideictic speeches (Hunink).

ā mē commendātus: although Apuleius stands lower on the social ladder than Pontianus — Apuleius is of decurial rank only (24.9), whereas Pontianus is a splendidissimus eques (62.4) — Apuleius introduced Pontianus to a man of senatorial and consular rank. Apuleius's prestige based on his eloquence and learning is the decisive factor here (Hunink).

(4)

compererat: subject is Pontiānus; introduces the indirect statement mē ... perscrīpsisse.

omnia: all the details of the drama between Pontianus and his mother.

Apuleius first wrote a letter of recommendation. This was followed by a second letter, in which he obviously took back much of his praise. Finally, he was asked to write a third letter, in favor of Pontianus again (Hunink).

ad eum: ad Lolliānum Avītum.

(5)

acceptīs litterīs: ablative absolute, once Pontianus got the letter from Apuleius to give to Lollianus Avitus.

Carthāginem: accusative of place to which.

iam prope exāctō cōnsulātūs suī mūnere: "with the office of his (pro-)consulship now almost complete," i.e., when Lollianus Avitus was almost done with his governorship of Africa--Maximus would be the next governor of the province of Africa, which had Carthage as its seat.

(6)

Is: Lollianus Avitus.

prō: "in accordance with," "as befits."

grātulātus: "having given his congratulations to" + dat.

per eum: Pontianus carried the letter from Lollianus Avitus to Apuleius on his return from Carthage.

quās litterās: exclamatory, "What a letter!"

prōrsus ut: "exactly as (should)."

vir bonus dīcendī perītus:  Apuleius quotes the well-known definition of a model orator by Cato the Elder, quoted by Seneca Controversiae 1, preface 10 and Quintilian Institutio oratoria 12.1.1 (Hunink).

(7)

libenter ... audītūrum: supply esse, "will gladly hear," "will be glad to hear."

eius: Lollianus Avitus.

sī praelegam: "if I may read it out loud" (Hunink). 

Sī is here used with the subjunctive to express a conditional wish = modo.  Praelegere has usually the special meaning of legere docendi causa, to read as a teacher to show how a passage should be read. The word is perhaps chosen here because Apuleius proposes to read the passage as a lecturer might read it, to show off its beauty, rather than to adduce it as a piece of evidence (B/O).

Cedo tū: addressing the clerk.

ut quae semper ... fuērunt sint nunc: "so that they (the letters), which have always been ... might now be...."

ōrnāmentō mihi ... salūtī (mihi): double datives (AG 382.1), "something which provides me with distinction ... something that supplies me with salvation."

(8)

At tū licēbit aquam sinās fluere: At licēbit (ut) tū sinās aquam fluere.

Whereas all other documents were read by attendants and the water clock was stopped (see on 28.1), the defendant proudly recites this letter personally and in his own time. It seems fair to add that since the letter is not a piece of evidence, it would have been difficult to have it read by an attendant. (Hunink)

optimī virī: Lollianus Avitus.

quantōvīs temporis dispendiō: "with whatever loss of time (on the water-clock) you want," it would be worth hearing these majestic letters over and over again.