Letter 443
Libanius→Elpidius, newly promoted official|libanius
To Elpidius, newly promoted official. (355)
You have reached the rank your good sense was always going to bring you -- a good sense that is both genuine and not lost on the emperor's attention. You were already well-disposed toward me before, and now you might reasonably add affection to goodwill, on account of our family connection.
As for the ambassadors, I would love to write on their behalf, but I do not yet dare make such requests before I have received a letter from you first.
Ἐλπιδίῳ. (355)
Ἥκεις εἰς τοῦτο τάξεως, οἷ σε ἔμελλον ἄξειν αἱ φρένες
ἀγαθαί τε οὖσαι καὶ τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως οὐ λανθάνουσαι νοῦν.
ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ πρόσθεν εὐνοικῶς εἶχες, νῦν δ’ ἂν καὶ προσθείης
τὸ φιλεῖν εἰκότως διὰ τὸ κῆδος.
περὶ δὲ τῶν πρέσβεων ἥδι-
στα μὲν ἂν ἐπέστελλον, τολμῶ δὲ οὔπω τὰ τοιαῦτα πρὶν παρὰ
σοῦ μοι γράμματα ἐλθεῖν.
◆
To Elpidius, newly promoted official. (355)
You have reached the rank your good sense was always going to bring you -- a good sense that is both genuine and not lost on the emperor's attention. You were already well-disposed toward me before, and now you might reasonably add affection to goodwill, on account of our family connection.
As for the ambassadors, I would love to write on their behalf, but I do not yet dare make such requests before I have received a letter from you first.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.