Letter 269: The man carrying this letter deserves your attention -- not because I say so, though that should count for...

To Eusebius. (358) It sufficed for me to learn that you would give it, since indeed I asked for it in the first place for the sake of a test, so that I might know whether you would grant even such things as these. But the mention of wages owed was not the speech of a man bent on profit, but of a man taking pleasure in the memory of our companionship. For if in fact you happened to owe a great deal, you have repaid it threefold and fourfold by deeds greater and finer than the riches of Gyges. So keep this horse, then, and do not look for another. And everyone who has heard the promises will hear of the deed, and it will bring credit to you for having sent it, and to me for not having taken it.

Εὐσεβίῳ. (358) Ἤρκεσέ μοι γνῶναι ὅτι δοίης ἄν, ἐπεί τοι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν πείρας εἵνεκα ᾔτουν, ὅπως εἰδείην εἰ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δώσεις. μνήμη δὲ μισθῶν ὀφειλομένων οὐκ ἦν ἐσπουδακότος λόγος, ἀλλ’ ἀνδρὸς ἡδομένου τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς συνουσίας. εἰ γὰρ δὴ καὶ σφόδρα ὀφείλων ἐτύγχανες, τριπλῇ τετραπλῇ τ’ ἀπέτισας ἔργοις μείζοσι καὶ καλλίοσι τῶν Γύγου χρημάτων. τοῦτόν τε οὖν ἔχε τὸν ἵππον ἕτερόν τε μὴ ζήτει. πᾶς δὲ ὁ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ἀκούσας ἀκούσεται τὸ ἔργον καὶ κοσμήσει σὲ μὲν τῷ πέμψαι, τῷ μὴ λαβεῖν δὲ ἐμέ.