To Jovianus. (355)
Do you still remember me now that you have gone to Rome and are gazing at sights you never saw before, convincing yourself that this is not earth but some portion of heaven? That I remember you is no wonder -- I live among old things and no novelty could make me forget my friends.
But perhaps my question was wrong. Even if you shared Olympus with the gods, you could never forget the one you love. Do not be surprised that I call myself your beloved, an older man loved by a younger -- for you do love me, and I have named the thing for what it is. Besides, this is nothing new: it happened with Socrates too. The young men were in love with the old man.
You have a companion in this passion: Clematius here, who is powerfully seized by the god [of love] and can neither speak nor hear of anything unless it concerns me.
When he arrived, I immediately brought him into the council chamber for a lecture, and this was greater to Clematius than commanding armies. Shortly after, when I fell ill, the man was my only consolation, and because of him grief did not overwhelm my soul -- his presence lightened the burden, and even when absent, the thought of him...
Do you still remember me now that you have gone to Rome and are gazing at sights you never saw before, convincing yourself that this is not earth but some portion of heaven? That I remember you is no wonder -- I live among old things and no novelty could make me forget my friends.
But perhaps my question was wrong. Even if you shared Olympus with the gods, you could never forget the one you love. Do not be surprised that I call myself your beloved, an older man loved by a younger -- for you do love me, and I have named the thing for what it is. Besides, this is nothing new: it happened with Socrates too. The young men were in love with the old man.
You have a companion in this passion: Clematius here, who is powerfully seized by the god [of love] and can neither speak nor hear of anything unless it concerns me.
When he arrived, I immediately brought him into the council chamber for a lecture, and this was greater to Clematius than commanding armies. Shortly after, when I fell ill, the man was my only consolation, and because of him grief did not overwhelm my soul -- his presence lightened the burden, and even when absent, the thought of him...
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.