Letter 338: I know you will often write, Here is another Cappadocian for you! I expect that you will send me many. I am sure that you are everywhere putting pressure on both fathers and sons by all your complimentary expressions about me.

[From Libanius to Basil] I know you will keep writing to me: "Here is another Cappadocian for you!" I expect you will send many more. I am sure you are everywhere putting pressure on both fathers and sons with your flattering descriptions of me. But it would be ungrateful of me not to tell you what happened with your last letter. I was sitting with several distinguished men, among them the excellent Alypius, cousin of Hierocles. The messengers delivered the letter. I read it through without a word. Then, with a smile, and clearly pleased, I exclaimed: "I am beaten!" "How? When? Where?" they asked. "And why aren't you upset about losing?" "I am beaten in beautiful letter-writing," I replied. "Basil has won. But I love him, and so I am delighted." At this, they all wanted to hear the victorious letter for themselves. Alypius read it aloud while everyone listened. They unanimously agreed that what I had said was true. Then the reader walked out still holding the letter -- to show it to others, I suppose. I had some difficulty getting it back. Keep writing letters like this. Keep winning. For me, your victory is my victory. And you are quite right in thinking that my services are not measured by money. It is enough for a man who has nothing to give that he wants to learn. When I find a poor man who loves learning, he takes precedence over the rich. True, I never had such generous teachers myself. But no matter.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Libanius to Basil. I know you will often write, Here is another Cappadocian for you! I expect that you will send me many. I am sure that you are everywhere putting pressure on both fathers and sons by all your complimentary expressions about me. But it would not be kind on my part not to mention what happened about your good letter. There were sitting with me not a few of our people of distinction, and among them the very excellent Alypius, Hierocles' cousin. The messengers gave in the letter. I read it right through without a word; then with a smile, and evidently gratified, I exclaimed, I am vanquished! How? When? Where? they asked. How is it that you are not distressed at being vanquished? I am beaten, I replied, in beautiful letter writing. Basil has won. But I love him; and so I am delighted. On hearing this, they all wanted to hear of the victory from the letter itself. It was read by Alypius, while all listened. It was voted that what I had said was quite true. Then the reader went out, with the letter still in his hand, to show it, I suppose, to others. I had some difficulty in getting it back. Go on writing others like it; go on winning. This is for me to win. You are quite right in thinking that my services are not measured by money. Enough for him who has nothing to give, that he is as wishful to receive. If I perceive any one who is poor to be a lover of learning, he takes precedence of the rich. True, I never found such instructors; but nothing shall stand in the way of my being, at least in that respect, an improvement on mine. Let no one, then, hesitate to come hither because he is poor, if only he possesses the one qualification of knowing how to work.

[Πρός: Λιβάνιος Βασιλείῳ] Οἶδα ὅτι πολλάκις τοῦτο γράψεις, τό, Ἰδού σοι καὶ ἕτερος ἥκει Καππαδόκης. πολλοὺς γάρ, οἶμαι, πέμψεις, ἀεὶ μὲν καὶ πανταχοῦ τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις τοῖς κατʼ ἐμοῦ χρώμενος, τούτῳ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ πατέρας κινῶν καὶ παῖδας. Ἀλλʼ ὅ γε ἐγένετο περὶ τὴν ἐπιστολήν σου τὴν καλήν, οὐ καλὸν σιωπῆσαι. παρεκάθηντό μοι τῶν ἐν ἀρχῇ γεγενημένων ἄλλοι τε οὐκ ὀλίγοι, καὶ ὁ πάντα ἄριστος Ἀλύπιος Ἱεροκλέους ἀνεψιὸς ἐκείνου. ὡς οὖν ἔδοσαν οἱ φέροντες τὴν ἐπιστολήν, σιγῇ διὰ πάσης ἐλθών, Νενικήμεθα, ἔφην, μειδιῶν τε ἅμα καὶ χαίρων. Καὶ τίνα σὺ νενίκησαι νίκην; ἤροντο· καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἀλγεῖς νενικημένος; ἐν κάλλει μέν, ἔφην, ἐπιστολῶν ἥττημαι· Βασίλειος δὲ κεκράτηκε. φίλος δὲ ὁ ἀνήρ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εὐφραίνομαι. ταῦτα εἰπόντος ἐμοῦ, παρʼ αὐτῶν μαθεῖν ἠβουλήθησαν τῶν γραμμάτων τὴν νίκην. καὶ ἀνεγίνωσκε μὲν ὁ Ἀλύπιος, ἤκουον δὲ οἱ παρόντες. ἡ ψῆφος δὲ ἠνέχθη, μηδέν με ἐψεῦσθαι. καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἔχων ὁ ἀναγνοὺς ἐξῄει, δείξων οἶμαι καὶ ἄλλοις, καὶ μόλις ἀπέδωκε. γράφε τοίνυν παραπλήσια, καὶ νίκα· τουτὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἐμὲ νικᾷν. Καλῶς δὲ κἀκεῖνο εἰκάζεις, ὡς οὐ χρήμασι μετρεῖται τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν· ἀλλʼ ἀρκεῖ τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ δοῦναι τὸ βουληθῆναι λαβεῖν. κἂν γὰρ αἴσθωμαί τινα ἐν πενίᾳ λόγων ἐρῶντα, πρὸ τῶν πλουτούντων οὗτος. καίτοι οὐ τοιούτων πεπειράμεθα διδασκάλων· ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν κωλύσει ταύτῃ γε εἶναι βελτίονας. μηδεὶς οὖν πένης ὀκνείτω δεῦρο βαδίζειν, εἰ ἓν ἐκεῖνο κέκτηται μόνον, τὸ ἐπίστασθαι πονεῖν.