Letter 181: Rufinus is a kinsman of the distinguished Olympius and a friend of mine -- he follows his kinsman's example.

To Euphemius, military commander. (360) Rufinus is a kinsman of the distinguished Olympius and a friend of mine -- he follows his kinsman's example. He is, moreover, the leading figure in the prefect's guard. A soldier of yours, Cyrinus, wants to give him his daughter in marriage -- sensibly enough -- but delays because he is stationed at Beroea [modern Aleppo]. Along with Zeus the god of marriage, you have the power to make this wedding happen, if you will grant Cyrinus a few days' leave. And you should serve the god of Marriage, so that your own second marriage [Libanius alludes to a known remarriage] may turn out better than the first. But please -- do not write back with the usual excuses: "too busy," "impossible," and all the rest. We are not asking to hear that you did not release the man. We want to see the man himself, released.

Εὐφημίῳ. (360) Ῥουφῖνος συγγενὴς μέν ἐστιν Ὀλυμπίου τοῦ πάνυ, φί- λος δὲ ἐμός, τὸν συγγενῆ γὰρ μιμεῖται, τῆς δὲ περὶ τὸν ὕπαρ- χον στρατιᾶς ὅτιπερ κεφάλαιον. τούτῳ Κυρῖνος, σὸς δὲ οὗ- τος στρατιώτης, θυγατέρα βούλεται μὲν δοῦναι νοῦν ἔχων, 10 μέλλει δὲ ὑπ’ ἀνάγκης, ἵδρυται γὰρ ἐν Βερροίᾳ. μετὰ δὲ τοῦ γαμηλίου Δῖός σὺ κύριος γενέσθαι τοὺς γάμους, ἢν ἀνα- λῦσαι τὸν Κυρῖνον ἡμῖν ἐθελήσῃς ἡμέρας οὐ πολλάς. δεῖ δέ σε θεραπεύειν τὸν Γάμον, ὅπως σοι τὰ δεύτερα τοῦ θεοῦ γέ- νηται βελτίω. ἀλλ’ ὅπως μή μοι τὸ Ἄκαι τὸ μηδ’ ἀσχολίαν 16 μηδ’ ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε Με ταῦτα δὴ τὰ εἰωθότα γράψῃς. δεό- μεθα γὰρ οὐ διότι τὸν ἄνδρα οὐκ ἀφῆκας ἀκοῦσαι, ἀλλ’ αὐ- τὸν ἀφεθέντα τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδεῖν.