Letter 100

From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch To: Letoius Date: ~359 AD Context: A brief note prodding a man who promised to write but never followed through. You were part of a gathering convened on urgent business at the home of one of my friends, and you declared that you had a nephew studying with us and that you wanted to write both to him and to me about the boy. But you did neither. Well, I'm writing and sending the boy's tutor, who makes a long letter unnecessary. After all, even if I praised the young man to the skies, you'd ask the tutor whether it was all true -- so it's better to leave the account to him entirely.

**To Aetius** (359/60) Taking part in a gathering that had been convened at the house of one of our friends concerning matters of the greatest importance, you declared that you had a nephew studying with us and that you wished to write both to him and to me on his behalf — yet you have done neither. We, however, are writing, and we are sending you the boy's attendant, whose presence renders a long letter unnecessary. For the very man whom you would have questioned, even had I heaped praise upon the young man, as to whether my words were true — to him it is better to leave the whole account of these matters.

Αητοΐῳ. (359/60) Τοῦ συλλόγου μετέχων, ὃς ὑπὲρ μεγίστων ἤθροιστο πρός τινα τῶν ἡμῖν ἐπιτηδείων, εἶναι μέν σοι παρ’ ἡμῖν ἀδελφι- δοῦν ἔφασκες καὶ γράψαι γε ἐθέλειν ἐκείνῳ τε καὶ ἐμοὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ, πεποίηκας δὲ οὐδέτερον. ἀλλ’ ἡμεῖς γράφομέν τε καὶ πέμπομεν τὸν παιδαγωγόν, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ γράφειν μακρά. ὃν γάρ, εἰ καὶ πολλὰ τὸν νέον ἐπῄνουν, ἠρώτας ἄν, εἰ ταῦτα ἀληθῆ, τούτῳ βέλτιον ἀφεῖναι τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων λόγον.