Letter 660

To the same [Italicianus]. (361 AD) This Faustinus is the pride of Pisidia and of the young men in my circle. His standing at home you could learn from others — the distinction of his family, their splendor in public service, how his ancestors were and remain a wall of defense for their city. But what he has accomplished in our sacred precincts of learning, I am the right one to tell. Living among young men who were asleep to ambition and thought learning worthless — as if their souls belonged to someone else — he refused to accept that view. Instead, judging that those without education are no better off than slaves, he left the theaters, the mimes, and the madness for horse-racing to others. He gave his body over to hard work and made his soul finer — a godsend to eager teachers, a burden to the lazy, since he considered the labors themselves a rest from labor. In all I have described, you can see his self-discipline and the good order of his daily life, for whoever has devoted himself to books has removed himself from vice. Now, if his father were still alive, or if his grandfather were not overcome by old age, he would in time have surpassed even his teachers. But as things stand, since he must now look after his own affairs, he is reluctantly torn away from further study. Yet he has ability enough for the courts, and enough to make his city greater. Fortune, too, has added a blessing: since you are governor, my friends are bound to sail with a fair wind, for Athena sends a favorable breeze.

Τῷ αὐτῷ (361) Καὶ Πισιδῶν ὅτιπερ κεφάλαιον Φαυστἱνος οὑτοσὶ καὶ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς νεότητος. τὰ μὲν οὖν οἴκοι ὄντα αὐτῷ καὶ παρ’ ἄλλων ἂν μάθοις, γένους περιφάνειαν, ἐν λειτουργίαις λαμπρότητα, τὸ ἀντὶ τείχους τῇ πόλει τοὺς τούτου γεγονέναι τε καὶ εἶναι προγόνους, τὰ δ’ ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἱεροῖς ἐγὼ φρέσαι δίκαιος. ζῶν γὰρ ἐν καθεύδουσι νέοις καὶ οἰομἐ- νοῖς οὐδὲν εἶναι τοὺς λόγους ὡς τῆς ψυχῆς ἑτέρων οὐκ ἐδέξατο τῇ ψυχῇ τήνδε τὴν δόξαν, ἀλλ’ ἡγησάμενος τοὺς παιδείας ἀμοίρους οὐκ ἐν ἀμείνονι τάξει τῶν ἀνδραπόδων εἶναι θέατρα μὲν καὶ μίμους καὶ τὴν περὶ ἵππους μανίαν ἑτέροις ἀφῆκεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὸ μὲν σῶμα τοῖς πόνοις ἔδωκε. τὴν ψυχὴν δὲ ἀπειργάσατο καλλίω προθύμοις μὲν διδασκάλοις ἕρμαιον ὤν, οὐ τοιούτοις δὲ ἄχθος τῶν πόνων ἀνάπαυλαν αὐτοὺς νομίζων τοὺς πόνους. ἐν δὴ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἔχεις δήπου καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην καὶ τοῦ καθ’ ἡμέραν βίου τὸν κόσμον ὡς ὅστις αὑτὸν ἐξήρτησε βιβλίων, οὗτος αὑτὸν ἀπέ- στῆσε κακίας εἰ μὲν οὖν ἢ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ περιῆν ἢ ὁ πάππος μὴ ἦν ἐλάττων τοῦ γήρως, παρῆλθεν ἂν καὶ τοὺς παιδευτὰς ἐν προιόντι τῷ χρόνῳ· νῦν δέ, δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν τὰ αὑτοῦ σώζειν ἤδη, δακρύων μὲν ἀποστερεῖται τοῦ πλείονος. ἔχει δὲ ῥώμην ἀρκοῦσαν μὲν δίκαις, ἀρκοῦσαν δὲ μείζω ποιῆσαι πατρίδα. προσγέγονε δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος εὖ ποιοῦντα. σοῦ γὰρ ἄρχοντος ἀνάγκη τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἑταίρους ἐξ οὐρίων φέρεσθαι τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς λυσιτελοῦντα πεμπούσης ἄνεμον.