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

To Eutocius. (356?) Letoius is a friend to us by virtue of being a good man and better than the station in which he lives. For he lives in a soldier's lot, but in his mind he is among those who are devoted to letters. This man, having met with me, tells me that he is about to come to you, and he bids me write to Eutocius. As for who this Eutocius is, I was not going to need to ask, for you have filled everyone with talk about yourself; but to write to one with whom I had not yet had any dealings gave me pause, and I was afraid that I might seem to be one of those troublesome people. But since Letoius begged me not to do otherwise, and declared that he would not desist beforehand, and at the same time promised that the letter would bring you pleasure and would bring me your friendship, the one of these I obeyed, and the other I 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.