Letter 199: Your letter was full of the wisdom I expected, and I was glad to receive it -- glad both for what you said about our...

To Germanus. (360) That you govern a great territory, with great cities and Greek peoples, fulfills our prayers. That you do not govern here means we have not obtained our full prayer. But I expect we shall gain this part too before long. Then you will do us good; for now, you can do good to our friends -- unless doing good to our friends is itself doing good to us. This Hermolaus became my acquaintance through his love of learning, which led him not to shrink from both assisting litigants and being one of my students, and indeed he increased the ability he already possessed. You have the opportunity to put him to the test. He has made such a thorough point of being an honest man that not even an enemy could say he is dishonest. He came here intending to improve his position through someone more powerful, but I told him there was no need to run to the Euphrates or bother so-and-so -- that you would give him more than he could have gotten from the greater man. He has enrolled his young son in public service, believing the first duty of a good man is to serve his homeland. But the man who takes on this role needs the governor's goodwill if the voyage is to go well. See to it then that you make the voyage safe for him, both by helping him yourself and by arranging for the provincial governor to follow your example. I promised him you would do this, and it would be your part not to clothe me in shame. Be to Hermolaus the man I know you to be, and renew your correspondence with us. Even though your hand produces many letters these days, it is strange that among so many, those to us should not be included.

Γερμανῷ. (360) ὅτι μὲν ἄρχεις καὶ χώρας πολλῆς καἰ πόλεων μεγάλων καὶ γενῶν Ἑλληνικῶν, εὐχὰς ἡμῖν πληροῖς· ὅτι δὲ οὐχ ἄρχεις, οὐ πάσης τετυχήκαμεν τῆς εὐχῆς. οἶμαι δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦδε οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν τεύξεσθαι τοῦ μέρους. τότε μὲν οὖν ἡμᾶς, νῦν δέ σοι τοὺς ἡμετέρους εὖ ποιεῖν ἔξεστι φίλους, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἐστιν εὑ ποιεῖν ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις φίλοις. Ἑρμόλαος τοίνυν οὗτος γίγνεταί μοι συνήθης ἀπὸ τοῦ περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἔρωτος, δι’ ὃν οὐκ ὤκνησεν ὁμοῦ τοῖς τε δικαζο- μένοις συμμαχεῖν καὶ τῶν φοιτώντων εἷς εἶναι, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐπηύξησε τὴν οὖσαν αὑτῷ δύναμιν. οὐκοῦν σοι πάρεστι πεῖραν λαβεῖν. τοῦ δέ γε εἶναι χρηστὸς οὕτω σφόδρα πάνυ πεποίηται λόγον, ὥστ’ οὐδ’ ἂν ἐχθρὸς εἴποι περὶ αὐτοῦ μὴ εἶ- ναι χρηστόν. ἥκων δὴ νῦν ἐνθάδε θησόμενός τι τῶν αὑ- τοῦ βέλτιον διὰ τοῦ μειζόνως ἰσχύοντος ἤκουσε παρ’ ἡμῶν, ὡς οὐδὲν δεῖ τρέχειν ἐπ’ Εὐφράτην οὐδὲ τὸν δεῖνα ἐνοχλεῖν· δώ- σεῖν γὰρ σὲ μείζονα ὧν ἂν εἶχε παρὰ τοῦ μείζονος. υἱὸν μὲν οὖν νέον ἐνεβίβασεν εἰς τὸ λειτουργεῖν τοῦτο πρῶτον ἡγού- μενος τῷ χρηστῷ προσήκειν, πατρίδα εὖ ποιεῖν, δεῖ δὲ τῷ πρὸς τοῦτο καταστάντι τὸν ἄρχοντα εὐμενῶς ἔχειν, εἰ μέλλοι πλεύ- σεσθαι καλῶς. ὅπως οὖν αὐτῷ ποιήσῃς τὸν πλοῦν ἀσφαλῆ τῷ τε αὐτὸς βοηθεῖν καὶ τῷ τὸν ἡγεμόνα παρασκευάσαι τὰ σὰ μίμεῖσθαι· ὡς ἐγὼ μὲν ταῦτα ποιήσεις ὑπεσχόμην καὶ σὸν δ’ ἂν εἴη μή με αἰσχύνῃ περιβαλεῖν. ἀλλ’ εἰς τε Ἑρμό- λαον γίγνου τοιοῦτος ὁποῖον οἶδα καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιστέλλειν ἀνανεοῦ. καὶ γὰρ εἰ πολλὰ τὰ νῦν γράμματά σου τῆς χειρός. αὐτό γε τοῦτο ἄτοπον ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς μὴ καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰναι.