Letter 23: You have not made this journey for a small reason, but for the sake of a man to see whom you would have been right...

To Macedonius. (358/59) You have not made this journey for a small reason, but for the sake of a man to see whom you would have been right to travel to the very Ocean itself. That you would speak of me everywhere, and with praise, I never doubted; for while others find their greatest pleasure in receiving compliments, yours lies in paying them to me. As for those men you say you spoke with, until you persuade them to hate flatterers, you will never persuade me to love them. I am thoroughly unskilled in that business; others are the champions of it. I have not yet seen Pancratius, but I consider him a good man and wish to write to him first. For there is nothing shameful in that for him, but it might look bad for me if I appeared to be soliciting students under the pretext of a greeting.

**To Macedonius** (358/590) You have not made your journey for any small reason, but for the sake of a man to see whom it would have been well worth your while to travel to the very Ocean itself. That you would remember me everywhere and with praise, I was well aware — for while other men take the greatest pleasure in receiving commendations, your pleasure lies in bestowing them upon me. As for the men you say you have been conversing with, until you persuade them to despise flatterers, you will never persuade me to love them. For I am utterly unskilled in that business, while others excel at it. As for Pancratius, I have not yet seen him, but I consider him a good man and think it right to write to him first — for there would be nothing shameful in that for him, but perhaps there would be for me, if I should seem, under the pretext of a letter of greeting, to be soliciting students.

Μακεδονίῳ. (358/590 Οὐκ ἐπὶ μικρῷ γε πεποίησαι τὴν ὀδόν, ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ ἀν- δρός, ὃν ὅπως ἴδοις, ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὠκεανὸν ἦν ἄν σοι καλόν. ὅτι δὲ ἔμελλες πανταχοῦ ἡμῶν μεμνήσεσθαι καὶ σὺν ἐπαίνοις, οὐκ ἠγνόουν· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοις ἥδιστον εὐφη- μιῶν τυγχάνειν, σοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐμὲ χρῆσθαι. τοὺς δὲ ἄνδρας, οἷς διειλέχθαι λέγεις, πρὶν ἂν πείσῃς μισεῖν τοὺς κόλακας. οὐδέποτε πείσεις ἡμᾶς φιλεῖν· πάνυ γὰρ ἀμαθῶς ἔχω τοῦ πράγματος, ἕτεροι δὲ ἀριστεύουσι. Παγκράτιον δὲ οὔπω μὶν εἶδον, ἀγαθὸν δὲ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ γράψαι πρότερον ἀξιῶ τῷ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν αἰσχρόν, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἴσως, εἰ δόξαιμι δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ἐπὶ προφάσει τοῦ προσειπεῖν μαθητὰς αἰτεῖν.