Letter 346: Even if you did not know before what sort of man Julianus is in character, you could see it now that he is here.

To Sebastianus. (358?) Even if you did not know before what sort of man Julianus is in his character, it was at any rate possible from the present circumstances to see the man. For while it was possible to carry off gold from the harbor of the Egyptians, no one looked upon this man; but once the profits had been turned elsewhere, and the grain-supply needed a man who would contribute his excellence without pay, then he is praised and sent for. And who indeed is more useful than this man? And many such things were said. As for Julianus, his love of peace and the fact that he does not lightly bring himself to be separated from his wife and children kept persuading him to remain; but so as not to seem, to those without experience of him, to be fleeing the labor because there was no profit to be gained from it, he undertook, though with tears, nevertheless to fill the merchant ships. And seeing him distressed, I reminded him of you, and I said: stop being vexed, for Sebastianus is in Egypt; and he at once smiled and was more at ease. For because of his grief he was not even able to consider this very thing, that he will see you together with the Nile. Be then everything to a man who is both poor and just and a friend.

Σεβαστιανῷ. (358?) Εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἠπίστω, τίς τοὺς τρόπους Ἰουλια- νός, ἐξῆν γε τῷ παρόντι τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδεῖν. ὅτε μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἐκ τοῦ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων λιμένος φέρεσθαι χρυσόν, οὐδεὶς ἑώρα τοῦτον· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ κέρδη ἑτέρωσε τέτραπται, δεῖται δὲ ἀνδρὸς ὁ σῖτος ἄμισθον εἰσοίσοντος τὴν ἀρετήν, ἐνταῦθα ἐπαινεῖται καὶ πέμπεται. καὶ τίς δὴ τοῦδε χρησιμώτερος; καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα. Ἰουλιανὸν δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐρᾶν ἠσυχίας καὶ τὸ μὴ κοῦφον ἄγειν γυναικὸς ἀφεστάναι καὶ παίδων ἔπειθε μένειν, τοῦ δὲ μὴ δόξαι τοῖς ἀπείροις αὑτοῦ φεύγειν τὸν πόνον διὰ τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν ἐνεῖναι, μετὰ μὲν δακρύων, ὅμως δὲ ὐπέστη τὰς ὁλκάδας ἐμπιπλάναι. ὁρῶν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνιώμενον ἀνέμνη- σα σοῦ καὶ παῦσαι ἔφην ἀχθόμενος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Σε- βαστιανός ὁ δὲ εὐθύς τε ἐμειδίασε καὶ ῥᾴων ἦν. ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς λύπης οὐδ’ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εἶχεν ἐννοεῖν, ὡς ὄψεταί σε μετὰ τοῦ Νείλου. γενοῦ δὴ πάντα ἀνδρὶ καὶ πένητι καὶ δικαίῳ καὶ φίλῳ.