Letter 177: I am no prophet, but I can foresee certain things by reasoning.

To Albanius, former student. (360) I am no prophet, but I can foresee certain things by reasoning. And so I see and predict that much good will come to both of you from each other. You will share in plans, labors, and achievements, and you will astonish those who expected otherwise -- I might add, you will pain them too. How do I come to say this? Because even in your quarrel you were never driven to anything irreparable. That feud of yours was more a playful imitation of a quarrel than a real one. What will you be like when you are in harmony, given that you did not entirely gratify those who set you against each other? On that subject, you will soon be writing to confirm my prophecy. But you, Albanius -- you cause me pain by neither writing nor having yet settled on a course in life. Proof that you are still adrift: your sons are still here with us.

Ἀλβανίῳ. (360) 5 Ἐγὼ μάντις μὲν οὔκ εἰμι, δυναίμην δ’ ἂν ἔνια τῶν μελλόντων λογισμῷ προορᾶν. καὶ νῦν τοίνυν ὁρῶ καὶ προλέ- γω πολλὰ ὑμῖν ἔσεσθαι, σοί τε καὶ τῷδε, παρ’ ἀλλήλων ἀγαθά. καὶ γὰρ βουλήσεων καὶ πόνων καὶ ἔργων κοινωνήσετε καὶ τοὺς οὐ ταῦτα περὶ ὑμῶν προσδοκῶντας ἐκπλήξετε, προσθήσω 10 δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἀνιάσετε. πόθεν οὖν μοι ταῦτα ἔπεισι λέγειν; ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲ ἐν οἷς φιλονεικεῖτε πρὸς μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον ἐξα- χθῆναι, ἀλλὰ γενέσθαι τὴν στάσιν ἐκείνην μίμησιν στάσεως ἐν παιδιᾷ μᾶλλον ἢ στάσιν. τίνες δὴ ἔσεσθε συμπνέοντες, οἵ γε μηδὲ τοῖς συγκρούουσι πάντα κεχάρισθε; ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ μὲν 15 τούτων ἐπιστελεῖτέ μοι τὴν μαντείαν ἐπαινοῦντες, σὺ δ’ οὔτε ἐπιστέλλων λυπεῖς οὔτ’ ἤδη καταστήσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὁδόν τινα βίου. τοῦ δὲ ἔτι φέρεσθαι δεῖγμά μοι τὸ τοὺς παῖδας ἔτι παρ’ ἡμῖν μένειν.