Letter 351: Many, who have come to me from where you are, have admired your oratorical power. They were remarking that there has been a very brilliant specimen of this, and a very great contest, as they alleged, with the result that all crowded together, and no one appeared in the whole city but Libanius alone in the lists, and everybody, young and old, lis...
Basil of Caesarea→Libanius|c. 377 AD|basil caesarea
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Military conflict
Many people who have come to me from your city have been full of admiration for your oratorical power. They reported a truly brilliant performance and a great contest -- with the result that the entire population gathered, and in all the city no one was to be seen but Libanius alone in the ring, with everyone, young and old, listening. No one was willing to be absent -- not a man of rank, not a distinguished soldier, not an artisan. Even women hurried to be present for the spectacle.
And what was it? What was the speech that drew such a crowd? I am told it was a description of a man with a bad temper.
Please lose no time in sending me this much-admired speech, so that I too may join in praising your eloquence. If I am already a partisan of Libanius without having read his work, imagine what I will become once I have the actual evidence in hand.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
Basil to Libanius.
Many, who have come to me from where you are, have admired your oratorical power. They were remarking that there has been a very brilliant specimen of this, and a very great contest, as they alleged, with the result that all crowded together, and no one appeared in the whole city but Libanius alone in the lists, and everybody, young and old, listening. For no one was willing to be absent — not a man of rank — not a distinguished soldier — not an artisan. Even women hurried to be present at the struggle. And what was it? What was the speech which brought together this vast assembly? I have been told that it contained a description of a man of peevish temper. Pray lose no time in sending me this much admired speech, in order that I too may join in praising your eloquence. If I am a praiser of Libanius without his works, what am I likely to become after receiving the grounds on which to praise him?
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Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202351.htm>.
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Many people who have come to me from your city have been full of admiration for your oratorical power. They reported a truly brilliant performance and a great contest -- with the result that the entire population gathered, and in all the city no one was to be seen but Libanius alone in the ring, with everyone, young and old, listening. No one was willing to be absent -- not a man of rank, not a distinguished soldier, not an artisan. Even women hurried to be present for the spectacle.
And what was it? What was the speech that drew such a crowd? I am told it was a description of a man with a bad temper.
Please lose no time in sending me this much-admired speech, so that I too may join in praising your eloquence. If I am already a partisan of Libanius without having read his work, imagine what I will become once I have the actual evidence in hand.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.