Letter 514: Letoius is a friend of mine because he is a good man and better than the station in life he occupies.

To Eutochius. Letoius is a friend of mine because he is a good man and better than the station in life he occupies. He lives as a soldier, but in his mind he belongs with those devoted to literature. He came to see me and told me he was about to travel your way, and urged me to write to Eutochius. Now, I was not going to ask who this Eutochius is -- you have filled the world with talk about yourself. But writing to someone I had never met made me hesitate; I was afraid I would come across as one of those people who impose on strangers. Letoius, however, insisted and refused to give up, promising that this letter would bring pleasure to you and your friendship to me. The first part I have obeyed. The second I can only pray for.

Εὐτοκίῳ. (356 ?) Λητόιος ἡμῖν φίλος ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ χρηστὸς εἶναι καὶ κρείττων τοῦ σχήματος ἐν ᾧ ζῇ. ζῇ μὲν γὰρ ἐν στρατιώτου μοίρᾳ, τῇ γνώμη δὲ μετὰ τῶν περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐστίν. οὗτος ἐντυχών μοι τό τε μέλλειν ὡς ὑμᾶς ἰέναι φράζει καὶ κελεύει πρὸς Εὐτόκιον ἐπιστεῖλαι. ἐγὼ δέ, ὅστις μὲν οὗτος Εὐτόκιος, οὐκ ἔμελλον ἐρήσεσθαι, πάντας γὰρ ἐμπέπληκας τοῦ περὶ σαυτοῦ λόγου, τὸ δὲ μήπω σοι συμμίξαντα γράφειν ὄκνον παρεῖχε καὶ ἐδεδοίκειν μὴ δόξω τούτων εἶναι τῶν ἐνοχλούν- των. Λητοίου δὲ δεομένου μὴ ἄλλως ποιεῖν καὶ φήσαντος οὐ πρὶν ἀποστήσεσθαι καὶ ἅμα ὑποσχομένου σοὶ μὲν ἡδονήν, ἐμοὶ δὲ οἴσειν τὴν σὴν φιλίαν τὰ γράμματα τὸ μὲν ὑπήκουσα, τὸ δὲ εὔχομαι.