Letter 19: The young man did not come to me without thinking it through.

To Demetrius. (358/59) The young man did not come to me without thinking it through. He knew that his uncle both loves me and is respected by me, and when he arrived he found exactly what he had hoped for -- whether that includes real skill in rhetoric, I cannot say, but certainly as much goodwill as you yourself would have shown him had you been in my place. He is now pursuing his studies in earnest. Before, he only seemed to have taken them up; now he is truly engaged. But he lives in poverty, and not in the circumstances one would expect for a relative of yours. If you were short of money, it would be my place to help. But since -- and good for you -- you are wealthy, and you believe that deprivation helps young men in their studies, let me suggest that you either send the boy some gold or allow me to assist him. For it is not only luxury that gets in the way of learning; living with hunger does too.

**To Demetrius** (358/59) The young man did not come to me without reason. He knew that his uncle both loves me and is honored by me, and upon arriving he found just what he had hoped for — whether he also found any power of eloquence, I cannot say, but he certainly found goodwill as great as you yourself would have shown him had you been in my place. He is indeed devoted to his studies — having long seemed to be engaged in them, but only now truly taking hold of them. Yet he lives in poverty, and not in the circumstances one would expect of a kinsman of yours. Now, if you were short of money, it would fall to me to help him. But since — and good for you — you are wealthy, and you believe that deprivation aids young men in their studies, I would advise you either to send him some gold or to allow me to come to his assistance. For it is not luxury alone that hinders learning — so too does living on intimate terms with hunger.

Δημητρίῳ. (358/59) Οὐδ’ αὐτὸς ὁ νέος ἄνευ λογισμοῦ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἧκεν, ἀλλ’ εἰδὼς τὸν αὑτοῦ θεῖον ἐμέ τε φιλοῦντα καὶ ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ τιμώ- μενον ἥκων δὲ εὗρεν ἅπερ ἤλπισεν εἰ μέντοι καὶ λόγων ἰσχύν, οὐκ οἶδα, τὴν δ’ οὖν εὔνοιαν τοσαύτην ὅσην ἄν. εἰ σὺ τοὐμὸν ἔπραττες, ἔνειμας αὐτῷ φανέντι. λόγων μὲν οὖν ἔχεται πάλαι μὲν αὐτῶν ἧφθαι δοκῶν, νῦν δὲ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἁπτόμενος, ζῇ δὲ ἐν πενίᾳ καὶ οὐκ ἐν οἶς εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸν ὑμέτερον συγγενῆ εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐσπανίζετε χρημάτων, ἐμὸν ἂν ἦν βοηθεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ καλῶς ποιοῦντες πλουτεῖτε μέν, οἴεσθε δὲ τὴν ἔνδειαν συλλαμβάνειν νέοις εἰς λόγους, παραινέσαιμ 5 ἂν ὑμῖν ἢ πέμπειν αὐτοὺς χρυσίον ἢ ἡμῖν ἐφεῖναι συμμα- χεῖν· ὡς οὐ μόνον τρυφὴ κώλυμα λόγοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ λιμῷ συνοικεῖν