Letter 453: I recently heard someone say that Eusebius was fortunate because he was close to the emperor.

I recently heard someone say that Eusebius was fortunate because he was close to the emperor. I do not consider that a small thing, but I call the man fortunate for the virtue he lives by. For is it not virtue to choose to be good when you have every opportunity to be bad? What he found in the Hellespont and what he made of it, you have already heard. What he will do in your region, someone else will soon celebrate. He has honored me in every way, but his greatest gift was allowing me to write to my friends through him. When you receive this letter, love the man as you would love me -- and admire him as you would no other.

Ἀλκίμῳ. (355/56) Ἤδη τινὸς ἤκουσα λέγοντος ὡς εὐδαίμων Εὐσέβιος βα- σιλεῖ γε ὢν οἰκεῖος. ἐγὼ δὲ φαῦλον μὲν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἡγοῦμαι, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν ᾗ συζῇ τὸν ἄνδρα εὐδαίμονα καλῶ. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀρετὴ τὸ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ γενέσθαι κακὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐθέ- λειν εἶναι; τὸν μὲν οὖν Ἑλλήσποντον οἷον εὑρὼν οἶον ἔδειξεν, ἠκούετε τὰ δ’ ὑμέτερα ταχέως τις ἄλλος ᾄσεται. ἐμὲ· δὲ διὰ πάντων τετιμηκὼς μεγίστῳ τούτῳ κεκόσμηκε δοὺς ἐπι- στεῖλαι δι’ αὐτοῦ τοῖς γνωρίμοις. λαβὼν δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν φίλει μὲν ὥσπερ ἐμὲ τὸν ἄνδρα, θαύμαζε δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἄλλον.