Letter 511
To Araxius.
I have long known your skill in governing, so I am certain you are handling your present post with all proper care. Even if I had not known you before, I could have discovered your character from your friend. A man who enjoys the company of Themistius -- that is something I never needed to ask about, because I knew at once that such a person takes seriously the question of how to live well.
That is why I attached myself to Themistius constantly, both when I was with him in your city and here at home -- as if we were physically joined. I never stopped spending time with him, both to hear something worthwhile and to give my fellow citizens the impression that I was a decent sort of person, on the strength of my delight in excellence.
When he brought me your letter, the pleasure was doubled -- by the letter itself and by the quality of the messenger. After exciting me with stories about you, he set out on his journey. I would be speaking with you now in person, if my mother's old age had not held me back: she badly needs my help. But if that were not keeping me here, nothing else would have persuaded me to stay rather than come to you.
Perhaps I will see you even while staying put -- I see Fortune carrying you toward the place you ought to come. Or perhaps, if your current governorship is extended, someone will find me at your side.
As for the outrage I have suffered, in the gods' name, demand justice for me. Do not consider it more frightening that many people know about the slander than that I should go without redress for such insults. You know perfectly well how to manage this -- you understand both the general principles and the specific legal routes. I, for my part, will not endure listening to the boasts of men who got rich dishonestly while I live in poverty.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.