Letter 227: All good things to you, finest of young men, because what the laws have taken such care to establish regarding...

To Bassianus. (360?) All good things to you, finest of young men, because what the laws have taken such care to establish regarding parents -- that they should be looked after by their children -- you have demonstrated toward your teacher. I was not unaware of what you wrote to your grandmother about the admirable Cleobulus, asking that your own estate be opened to him. Having learned this myself, I was hardly going to keep such a fine deed quiet. The whole city is full of talk about your generosity, and we still have Cleobulus among us -- a man who would certainly have flown away if you were not who you are. So carry on, dear friend, just like this -- so that you may be praised and live with the hope of even better things. The Muses have already given you no small reward: they say that everyone, from every direction, is drawn to the love of eloquence. And that gift is truly from the daughters of Memory [the Muses, children of Mnemosyne].

Βασσιανῷ. (360?) Πόλλα ἀγαθά σοι γένοιτο, βέλτιστε νέων, ὅτι ἃ περὶ τῶν γονέων διεσπούδασται τοῖς νόμοις, ὅπως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγγόνων θεραπεύοιντο, ταῦτ’ αὐτὸς ἐπεδείξω περὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον. οὐ γάρ με ἔλαθεν ἃ περὶ τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ Κλεοβούλου πρὸς τὴν τήθην ἐπιστέλλεις δεόμενος αὐτῷ τὴν σὴν οὐσίαν ἀνεῷχθαι. μαθὼν δὲ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔμελλον δήπου τὰ οὕτω καλὰ σιγή- σεσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἥ τε πόλις ἐμπέπλησται τῆς σῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας ἔχομέν τε τὸν Κλεόβουλον πάντως ἂν ἀποπτάμενον, εἰ μὴ τοι οὗτος ἦσθα. ἄγε οὖν, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, βάλλ’ οὕτως. ὅπως ἐπαινοῖό τε καὶ μετ’ ἐλπίδος ζῴης βελτίονος. εἴληφας δὲ οὐδὲ νῦν φαύλους παρὰ τῶν Μουσῶν τοὺς μισθούς. φασὶ γὰρ πάντας ἁπανταχόθεν προσκεῖσθαι τῷ τῶν λόγων ἔρωτι. τουτὶ δὲ τὸ δῶρον τῶν Μνημοσύνης ἀκριβῶς.