Letter 297: The very quality that makes you admirable as a governor -- your refusal to bend the law for anyone -- is the quality...

To Themistius. (361?) In his rhetorical training the excellent Elpidius resembles me, but in his way of life he is far superior. He had the chair, the philosopher's cloak, and everything else that still belongs to our world. But seeing that those who spend their lives teaching are weaker than shadows -- I except Socrates from this judgment, and you, Themistius, are strong, but the rest are mere shades -- he saw all this, abandoned the cicadas' life, and joined the soldiers. Already he has wounded many wrongdoers and saved many victims of injustice. Because he looks to honor rather than to heaps of silver, the powerful trust him. Let the present circumstances persuade you of this, and expect a brilliant career. His finest quality is that he avoids the young men who make him seasick, yet preserves his devotion to eloquence. You can test him yourself, both listening and speaking: he is formidable at shaking a listener, and equally capable of being moved by beautiful words. Though he is good in every way, he commits one offense -- but one for which you would pardon him: he is extravagantly fond of me, and this fondness carries him into excessive praise.

Θεμιστίῳ. (361?) Κατὰ μὲν τοὺς λόγους ἡμῖν ἔοικεν ὁ χρηστὸς Ἐλπίδιος, βίου δὲ ἰδεῖν ὁδὸν κατὰ πολὺ βελτίων. ἦν μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ θρόνος καὶ τρίβων καὶ τἄλλα δὴ πάντα ἐν οἷς ἡμεῖς ἔτι, τοὺς δ’ ἐν τῷ παιδεύειν διατρίβοντας ὁρῶν εἰδώλων ἀσθενεστέρους, Σωκράτη δὲ ἐξαιρῶ τοῦ λόγου, σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἰσχύεις, ἀλλὰ τά γε τῶν ἄλλων σκιά. ταῦτ’ οὖν ἰδὼν ἀφεὶς τὰ τῶν τεττίγων γίνεται τῶν ὁπλιτῶν. καὶ πολλοὺς ἤδη καὶ ἔτρωσεν ἀδι- κοῦντας καὶ ἔσωσεν ἀδικουμένους. βλέπων δὲ πρὸς τὸ καλὸν μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἀργυρίου πλῆθος ὑπό γε τῶν δυνατῶν πιστεύεται. τὰ παρόντα δὲ σὲ πειθέτω καὶ σχῆμα λαμπρὸν ἐν ἐλπίσι. κάλλιστον δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ τοὺς μὲν ναυτιῶντας νέους φεύγειν, τὸ κτῆμα δὲ φυλάττειν τῶν λόγων. ἔξεστι δέ σοι πεῖραν λαβεῖν καὶ ἀκούοντι καὶ λέγοντι· σεῖσαί τε γὰρ δεινὸς ἀκροώμενον καὶ ταὐτὸ παθεῖν ὑπὸ κάλλους λόγων. παν- ταχῆ δὲ ὢν ἀγαθὸς ἒν ἀδικεῖ, παρὰ σοὶ δ’ ἂν συγγνώμης τύχοι· πολλῷ τῷ φίλτρῳ κέχρηται πρὸς ἐμέ, καὶ τοῦτ’ αὐτὸν εἰς ἐπαίνων ὑπερβολὰς ἐκφέρει.