Letter 13: I received your letter with great pleasure, and the pleasure was doubled by its length -- for you are one of the few...

To Zenobius. (352 or 354?) I resolved to avenge your silence with silence of my own. Yet I knew the punishment would fall short of the offense. For it was not an equal thing for me to be deprived of your letters and for you to go without mine. The finer yours are, the greater the loss compared to the revenge. [To Thalassius. (352 or 353)] What I observed of you in person was admirable enough, but what I hear now approaches philosophy itself: a free tongue, a character that hates villainy, a passion for what is worthy, the courage to reward the good and drive out the bad, and -- greatest of all -- a contempt for gold, which, though it holds the greatest power among men, has been defeated by you. When I heard this one thing about Gorgonius -- that he admires you -- I was struck with wonder. For he would not feel that way unless he were like you himself. So arrange our return through him -- the return I keep hearing about -- for I long to see with my own eyes what I keep hearing. [To Florentius. (365)] The man delivering this letter is the one who wrote it. For the one who persuaded me to take courage may most justly be considered its author. I was held back by reluctance, but the excellent Tatianus put his hand to the paper, declaring I would not regret the letter. You, then, will show whether being persuaded to write was better than not daring to.

**To Zenobius** (352 or 354?) We resolved to avenge your silence with silence of our own. And yet I knew full well that the punishment fell short of the offense. For it was not an equal thing for me to be deprived of your letters and for you to receive none from us. On the contrary, the finer yours are, the greater my loss exceeds your penalty. **To Thalassius** (352 or 353) Admirable enough were the qualities I witnessed in you when we were together, but what I hear of you now approaches philosophy itself: a tongue that speaks freely, a character that loathes villainy, a passion for men of merit, and the courage to reward the worthy while driving out the wicked — and, greatest of all, gold held in contempt, that thing which wields the greatest power among men, yet before you stands defeated. As for Gorgonius, when I heard this one thing — that he admires you — I was struck with wonder myself. For he would never feel so unless he were a man much like you. Work then, through him, to secure what I am told is already underway — my recall. For I long to see with my own eyes what I now only hear of. **To Florentius** (365) The man who delivers this letter to you is the one who wrote it. For the man who persuaded me to take heart might most justly be said to have composed it himself. I was held back by hesitation, but the excellent Tatianus laid my hand upon the paper, declaring I would not regret having written. You, then, will show whether yielding to his persuasion and writing was better than not daring to write at all.

Ζηνοβίῳ. (352 vel 354?) Σιγῇ τὴν σιγὴν ἔγνωμεν ἀμύνασθαι. καίτοι γε ἠπιστάμην λειπομένην τῶν ἀδικημάτων τὴν δίκην. οὐ γὰρ ἴσον ἦν ἐμὲ σῶν ἀποστερεῖσθαι γραμμάτων καὶ σοὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν μὴ φοι- τᾶν. ἀλλ’ ὅσῳ καλλίω τὰ σά, τοσούτῳ μείζων ἡ βλάβη τῆς τιμωρίας. Θαλασσίῳ. (352 vel 353) Ἦν μὲν καλὰ καὶ ὅσα παρών σοι συνῄδειν, ἃ δ’ ἀκούω, φιλοσοφίας ἐγγὺς ἥκει, γλῶττα ἐλευθέρα καὶ τρόπος μισοπό- νηρος καὶ τῶν σπουδαίων ἔρως καὶ τὸ μετ’ ἀνδρείας τοὺς μὲν εὖ ποιεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ἐλαύνειν, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, χρυ- σὸς καταφρονούμενος, ὃς μέγιστον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἰσχύων ἥττη- ται. Γοργονίου δὲ τοῦθ’ ‘ὲν ἀκούσας, ὅτι σε θαυμάζει, πρὸς θαῦμα κατέστην. οὐ γὰρ ἄν, εἰ μή σοι προσόμοιος ἦν, οὕτως εἶχε. πρᾶττε οὖν ἡμῖν δι’ ἐκείνου, ἃ καὶ πυνθάνο- μαὶ, τὴν ἐπάνοδον· ἐπιθυμῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ἃ πυνθάνομαι. Φλωρεντίῳ. (365) Τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην ὁ κομίζων σοι γέγραφεν. ὁ γὰρ θαρρῆσαι πείσας δικαιότατ’ ἂν γράψαι δοκοῖ. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὄκνῳ εἰχόμην, ὁ κράτιστος δὲ Τατιανὸς τῷ χάρτῃ τὴν χεῖρα ἐπέθηκε φήσας οὐ μεταμελήσειν μοι τῶν γραμμάτων. σὺ τοί- νυν δείξεις, εἰ τοῦ μὴ τολμᾶν τὸ πεισθῆναι γράψαι βέλτιον.