Letter 264: I have not yet met you, but I long to, and I am fond of you even before seeing you -- so many fine things are...

To Germanus. (360) I have not yet met you, but I long to, and I am fond of you even before seeing you -- so many fine things are reported about you by fine and good men. To be fond of someone yet not bold enough to ask a favor seemed to me one of those absurd situations. So I ask you to receive this young man -- Hyperechius is his name -- with every kindness and send him on his way quickly. For he needs speed, I think: he left behind his mule team and is riding a single horse, and that with a body unequal to the strain. It is in your power to spare him much of the hardship. Do so, and then command me for whatever service I can render. I think it is fitting that since the beginning of our correspondence came from me, the beginning of real deeds should come from you. That way we would stand on equal footing -- or rather, even so the victory would be yours, if deeds are better than words.

Γερμανῷ. (360) Ἐγώ σε οὔπω μὲν εἶδον, ἰδεῖν δὲ ἐπιθυμῶ, φιλῶ δὲ καὶ πρὶν ἰδεῖν· οὕτω πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ παρ’ ἀνδρῶν καλῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀγγέλλεται περὶ σοῦ. φιλοῦντα δὲ μὴ καὶ θαρρεῖν χά- ριν αἰτεῖν ἕν τι τῶν ἀτόπων ἡγούμην. αἰτῶ δή σε τονδὶ τὸν νεανίσκον, Ὑπερέχιος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, μετὰ πάσης ἡμερότητος δέξασθαί τε κα πέμψαι διὰ τάχους. τάχους γάρ, οἶμαι, δεό- μενος ἀφεὶς ἡμιόνων ζεῦγος ἵππον ἐλαύνει καὶ ταῦτα ἐλάτ- τονι τοῦ πόνου χρώμενος σώματι. ἀλλ’ ἐν σοί γέ ἐστι πολ- Λὰ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἀφελεῖν. ὃ ποιήσας, ὅ τι δυναίμην ἂν ὑπουργεῖν, ἐπίταττε. καλὸν δὲ οἶμαι τῆς τῶν γραμμάτων ἀρ- χῆς παρ’ ἐμοῦ γεγενημένης τὴν τῶν ἔργων γενέσθαι παρὰ σοῦ. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν εἰς ἴσον κατασταίημεν ἀλλήλοις, μᾶλλον δέ, καὶ οὕτω σὸν τὸ νικᾶν, εἴπερ ἀμείνω τῶν λόγων τὰ ἔργα.