Letter 467: I think you have some anger toward your son.

To Meterius. (355/56) I think you have some anger toward your son. But if you are upset because you have not seen him for a long time, that gives us joy — for if this were not painful to you, it would be painful to us that you found it trivial. In your anger over his absence you show the father, and that gladdens us; but if you fault something else, you are mistaken. Let this letter serve as proof of his good conduct. I could neither neglect your son nor, in paying attention, fail to learn the truth — and to praise one I did not find worthy would not be like me. So if a man who has won the most distinguished friends among us owes his father a penalty, then let Meterius pay it — for he has won them. But if you yourself would pray that every city treat him no worse than his homeland, turn your complaints into congratulations.

Μητερίῳ. (355/56) Οἶμαί σοι πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἼ τινα ὀργήν. ἀλλ’ εἰ μὲν ὅτι αὐτὸν οὐκ εΙόες πολλοῦ χρόνου χαλεπαίνεις, χαίρειν ἡμῖν δίδως· εἰ δὲ μὴ σοι τοῦτο ἦν λυπηρόν, ἡμῖν ἂν ἦν λυπηρὸν τὸ σοὶ τοῦτ’ εΙναι κοῦφον. ἐν μὲν οὖν τῇ διὰ τὴν ἀπουσίαν ὀργῇ τὸν πατέρα δεικνύων εὐφραίνεις, ἄλλο δέ τι μεμφόμενος ἐξηπάτησαι σημεῖον δέ σοι γενέσθω τῆς τοῦδε εὐταξίας ταυτὶ τὰ γράμματα · οὔτε γὰρ ἀμελεῖν ἐνῆν μοι τοῦ σοῦ παι- δὸς οὔτε φροντίζοντι μὴ τὰ ὄντα μαθεῖν, ἐπαινέσαι δὲ ὃν οὐ χρηστὸν εὕρισκον οὐκ ἐμόν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὅστις παρ’ ἡμῖν φίλους κέκτηται τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους, οὗτος ὀφείλει δίκην πατρί, δότω δίκην Μητέριος, κέκτηται γάρ· εἰ δὲ κἂν αὐτὸς εὔξαιο πᾶσαν αὐτῷ πόλιν μὴ χείρω τῆς ἐνεγκούσης εἶναι, μετάστ,Ι- σὸν εἰς τὸ συνήδεσθαι τὰς αἰτίας.