Letter 179: I knew perfectly well that you would welcome the admirable Palladius with great warmth, even without a letter from me.

To Andronicus, a general. (360) I knew perfectly well that you would welcome the admirable Palladius with great warmth, even without a letter from me. In him you will find both the laws that govern your administration and the rhetoric that is your life's blood. But these can be found in others too. What is unique -- or at least exceedingly rare -- is Palladius's personal charm: the grace of his character, his gift for companionship, his way of immediately drawing in everyone he meets. When there is no festival, he is the festival; when there is one, he makes it grander. For these reasons you would pursue him even if he fled, let alone push him away when he comes to you. So you did not need a letter to create friendship. But since you will in fact welcome him and, having done so, praise the man, I attach myself to the business -- so that you will give me some credit when you find yourself praising him.

Ἀνδρονίκῳ. (360) Ὅτι μὲν ἔμελλες ὡς ἥδιστα τὸν χρηστὸν ὄψεσθαι Παλ- λάδιον καὶ μηδὲν ἐμοῦ γράφοντος, εὖ ᾔδειν. τούς τε γὰρ νό- μους μεθ’ ὧν ἄρχεις καὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐν οἷς ζῇς παρ’ αὐτῷ ζητῶν εὑρήσεις. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ παρ’ ἄλλοις, ἡ δέ γε τῶν ἠθῶν χάρις καἰ τὸ τῶν τρόπων ὁμιλητικὸν καὶ τὸ οἷς συγγένοιτο, τούτους εὐθὺς ἕλκειν καὶ τὸ ἀπούσης μὲν ἑορτῆς αὐτὸν ἑορτὴν εἶναι καὶ μόνον, παροῦσαν δὲ μείζω ποιεῖν, ταῦτα ἴσως μὲν οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ, πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἐν πολλοῖς. διὰ μὲν δὴ ταῦτα καὶ φεύγοντα ἂν διώκοις καὶ οὐχ ὅπως προσ- ιόντα ἀπωθοίης. ὥστ’ οὐδὲν ἴδει γραμμάτων τῶν ποιησόντων φιλίαν, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ καὶ χρήσῃ φανέντι καὶ χρώμενος ἑπαινέ- σεῖς τὸν ἄνδρα, συνεφάπτομαι τοῦ πράγματος, ὅπως μοι χάριν εἰδῇς, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐπαινῇς.