Letter 431: I have long considered you a good man, based on Themistocles's friendship with you -- that man would never have...

To Barbatio. (355) I considered you a good man even long ago, on the strength of Themistocles' friendship toward you; for that man would not befriend anyone who was not exceedingly good. But on the occasion of my earlier stay here, having met with you only briefly, I did not advance so far as I ought, both because my body was ailing and because you had a great deal of business, for you were in charge of matters of the highest importance. But since my friend Gessius frequents your house and is trusted among your household, in enrolling myself too among those familiar to you I think I do no wrong, especially as Matius bids me do so and promises that I shall not regret the letter. For he said that, knowing you very well and not being ignorant of me, we would have toward one another a harmony that is not ignoble. As for the trophies you set up over the barbarians, leading the forces yourself and following the fortune of the emperor, they are everywhere known and everywhere admired; and there are hopes that you will presently make them yet more numerous, and that, advancing further, you will have no need of trophies, nor indeed of battle. And for us, who ought to celebrate all that you accomplish, it is a fine thing to hear of the things they do from the very men who do them.

Βαρβατίωνι. (355) Ἐγώ σε καὶ πάλαι μὲν ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν ήγούμην ἀπὸ τῆς Θεμιστοκλέους πρὸς σὲ φιλίας, ὁ γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἂν φιλήσαι μὴ λίαν ἀγαθόν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς προτέρας ἐνθάδε μοι γενομένης ἐπιδημίας μικρά σοι συμμίξας οὐ προῆλθον εἰς ὅσον ἔδει τοῦ τε σώματός μοι κάμνοντος καὶ σοὶ πολλῆς ἀσχολίας οὔσης, τῶν γὰρ μεγίστων ἐπεστάτεις. Γεσσίου δέ σοι φοι- τῶντος τοὐμοῦ καὶ πιστευομένου παρὰ τοῖς σοῖς οἰκείοις εἰς τοὺς συνήθεις σοι καὶ ἐμαυτὸν ἐγγράφων οὔτι ἀδικεῖν οἶμαι ἄλλως τε καὶ Ματίου κελεύοντος καὶ ὑπισχνουμένου μὴ μεταμελήσειν μοι τῶν γραμμάτων. σέ τε γὰρ εὖ μάλα εἰδὼς ἐμέ τε οὐκ ἀγνοῶν ἔφασκεν ἕξειν ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀγεννῆ τινα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἁρμονίαν. τὰ τρόπαια δὲ ὅσα ἀπὸ βαρβάρων ἔστη- σας ἄγων μὲν αὐτὸς τὰς δυνάμεις, ἑπόμενος δὲ τῇ βασιλέω) τύχῃ, πανταχοῦ μὲν ἔγνωσται, πανταχοῦ δὲ τεθαύμασται, ἐλ- πίδες δέ εἰσιν ὡς αὐτίκα πλείω τε αὐτὰ ποιήσεις καὶ προïὼν οὐδὲν δεήσῃ τροπαίων, οὐδὲ γὰρ μάχης. ἡμᾶς δὲ οὒς δεῖ κοσμεῖν ὅσα ὑμεῖς ἐργάζεσθε παρ’ αὐτῶν τῶν ποιούντων ἃ ποιοῦσιν ἀκούειν καλόν.