Letter 160: Eunomus here is a man of good birth, eloquent speech, and practiced decency.

LibaniusCyril of Alexandria|c. 329 AD|Libanius|AI-assisted
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To Cyrillus. (359/60)

Eunomus here is a man of good birth, eloquent speech, and practiced decency. In return for his services, I am introducing him to Modestus, and now I introduce him again to you by letter, believing this favor to be no less than the other. Indeed, one might call it greater, since Eunomus can receive more benefit, and more steadily, from your goodwill.

But see that you also honor a second Eunomus -- this man's cousin, and to me as dear as a brother. Perhaps that one has already won your attention on his own, outrunning my letter. You would not have failed to recognize a good man and a skilled orator. My letter will simply add to the honor already being shown.

And there is yet another -- Eudaemon, a cousin of that second Eunomus, no less devoted to me than Eunomus himself. Eudaemon might claim he is even more devoted. But I have always declared them equal, and I have won both of them the support of many governors, none of whom has regretted it.

In doing good, you will match your predecessors. But in the extent of your generosity, you will surpass them.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.

Latin / Greek Original

Κυρίλλῳ. (359/60)

Εὔνομος οὑτοσὶ καὶ τῶν εὖ γεγονότων καὶ τῶν λέγειν
ἐπισταμένων καὶ τῶν ἐπιείκειαν ἠσκηκότων. ἀμειβόμενος δὴ
τὸν ἄνδρα παρά τε τὸν Μόδεστον εἰσάγω καὶ πάλιν εἰσάγω
παρὰ σὲ διὰ γραμμάτων νομίζων ταύτην ἐκείνης οὐ λείπεσθαι
τὴν χάριν. ἦν δὲ ἄρα καὶ μείζω ταύτην ἐκείνης εἰπεῖν, εἰ δὴ
καὶ πλείω καὶ συνεχῶς ἔστιν εὖ παθεῖν Εὐνόμῳ παρὰ τῆς σῆς
εὐνοίας.

ἀλλ’ ὅπως καὶ ἕτερον τιμήσῃς Εὔνομον, τούτου
μὲν ἀνεψιόν, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀδελφοῦ καλλίω. ἡ τοῦτο μὲν αὑτῷ δέ-
δωκεν ἐκεῖνος φθάσας τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπιστολήν, καὶ οὐκ ἔμελλες
ἀγνοήσειν ἄνδρα τε χρηστὸν καὶ ῥήτορα δεξιόν, τὰ γράμματα
δὲ προσθήκην ἐργάσεται τῇ πάλαι γιγνομένῃ τιμῇ.

ἀλλὰ
κάκείνῳ τίς ἐστιν Εὐδαίμων ἀνεψιός, οὐδὲν εἰς ἐμὲ φαυλό-
τερος Εὐνόμου, φαίη δ’ ἂν Εὐδαίμων, ὅτι καὶ προθυμότε-
ρος. ἀλλ’ ἔγωγε τοῦτ’ ἀεί ποτε ἐφθεγξάμην ὡς ἐν ἴσῳ, καὶ

πολλοὺς αὐτοῖν ἄρχοντας ἀπέφηνα συμμάχους, ὧν οὐδενὶ μετε
μέλησε.

σὺ δ’ ἐν μὲν τῷ ποιεῖν εὖ τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν μιμή-
σῃ, νικήσεις δὲ τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν διὰ τῶν ὑπερβολῶν.

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