Letter 266

To Bassianus. (360?) You have been doing what is right -- looking after the people I commend to you, not as a favor to me but out of your own nature. And I observe that Cleobulus is still with us, preserved by your generosity. If that generosity were to falter, he would fly off at once to seek a livelihood elsewhere. So continue doing what you are doing, and know that by keeping this man here, you keep a treasure for the city. For my part, I will not stop praising you whenever the occasion arises. And the occasions are frequent, since your deeds supply constant material.

Ὀλυμπίῳ. (358) Τεύξονται πάντων τῶν δικαίων οἱ σοὶ παῖδες παρ’ ἡμῶν, πρῶτον μὲν κατ’ αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ δικαίου μέρος καὶ τὸ δεῖν οὕτω ποιεῖν τόν γε οὐ πονηρὸν ἡγεμόνα· ἔπειθ’ ὅτι πα- ρακαλεῖ μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν Εὐθήριος, ἦγε δὲ αὐτοὺς Νεμέσιος, ὁ μὲν ἄρχων ἄριστος, ὁ δὲ ῥήτωρ ἄκρος, ὃς εἰ μοι καὶ δυσμε- νοῦς ἐνεχείριζε παῖδας, εἶδον ἂν ὡς φίλου παῖδας καὶ τὴν ἀπέχθειαν ἠγάπων. τίς δ’ οὐκ ἂν αἰδεσθείη τὸ πρόσ- ωπον, τὴν φωνήν, τὴν σιγήν; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ εἶδον ἄνδρα οὕτω μετὰ τοῦ καιροῦ πάντα ποιοῦντα. καὶ θαυμάσιόν οὐδὲν εἶναι τοιοῦτον ὄντα Ἀρμένιον. οἶδε γὰρ ἡ ὑμετέρα φέρειν ἀνδρῶν ἀρετάς. σὺ μὲν οὖν ὅπως ἀμείψῃ τὸν πορθμέα, ζήτει, πάν- τως δὲ οὐδὲν δώσεις τοιοῦτον, ὃ ποιήσει σε μὴ προσοφείλειν· ἐγὼ δὲ μισθὸν ὀφείλειν ὁμολογῶ τοῖς νέοις καὶ ἀποδώσω δι’ οὓς οὗτος καὶ δεῦρο ἦλθε καὶ παρ’ ἡμᾶς εἰσῆλθε καὶ τῶν φίλων εἷς γεγένηται.