Letter 306

To Andronicus. (361?) The young man who carries this letter is one of my finest students. He has the talent that makes a teacher proud and the character that makes a friend reliable. I would not send him to you if he were anything less, for I value your time too much and my own reputation too dearly. What he seeks is not charity but fair treatment -- the chance to present his case and have it judged on its merits. I know you will give him that much without my asking, but a letter from a friend never hurts, especially when the friend can say with confidence that the young man is everything he appears to be. Treat him well, and you will find yourself with a lifelong ally in whatever province he ends up governing -- for I predict a bright future for him, and my predictions in these matters have a decent record.

Ὁνωράτῳ (361?) Ὅτου σε εἵνεκα ἐκίνουν, ὅπως ἐκ τοῦ γράφειν ἐπιστολὰς εἰς τὸ καὶ καλῶς ἐπιστέλλειν ἀφίκοιο, τοῦθ’ ὁρῶ μοι χωροῦν. ἤδη τε γὰρ εἶ καλὸς καὶ ἴσῃ κάλλιστος τοῦ γε εἰκότος νικῶ τος. ἐξέστω γάρ μοι κατὰ τοὺς γεωργοὺς προειπεῖν, οἶ προ- βήσεται τὸ φυτόν. ὄντων δὲ ἀξίων θαυμάσαι τῶν ὀνομάτων ἡ κατὰ τὸ ἦθος ἀρετὴ παρῄει τὴν ἐν ἐκείνοις χάριν ὥσπερ τινὰ χρυσὸν χρυσὸς ἀμείνων. ἐγὼ δὲ χαίρω μὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ τιμώμενος, βουλοίμην δ’ ἄν σε τῶν σαυτοῦ τὸ μέγιστον μήτ’ ἀγνοεῖν μήτε εἰδότα δεύτερον ἄγειν ἑτέρου. μέγιστον δὲ τῶν σῶν ὁ πατήρ, καὶ μεθ’ ἡμῶν καὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν διεπλάττετό σοι τὴν ψυχήν. εἰ οὖν κόσμος μαθητῇ παιδευτὴς ἀγαθός, προ- τέρου μεμνήσῃ τοῦ πατρὸς, οὗ καὶ αὐτὸς εἶναι μαθητὴς ὁμο- λογῶν οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι. καὶ σὺ μὲν μειδιάσεις, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σόν, τὸ πρᾶγμα δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἔχοι, τὸν θρόνον δὲ πείσω- μεν μὴ ἀγανακτεῖν ταυτὶ μὲν οὕτω δεδόχθω, τῶν δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιστολῶν ἐξαίρει τὰ δοκοῦντα μὲν θεραπείαν ἔχειν, λυ- μαινόμενα δὲ τῷ κάλλει, ζητούμενα δὲ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν. ἀλλ’ ἡμεῖς γε μὴ τῶν πολλῶν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ποιῶμεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν ἐκείνους τὸν ἐκείνων, ἐπειδήπερ ἀνάγκη, πρὸς δ’ ἡμᾶς τὸν ἡμέτερον φυλάττωμεν νόμον.