Letter 549: You, Olympius, won the contest.

To Olympius and Jovinus. (357) You, Olympius, since you have rendered the contest to the people, render also the reward; and the reward is for our comrade Strategius to be displayed in some office. And surely you have power among the powerful. As for your brother, my anger toward him could not be unknown, for Clematius does not know how to keep silent; but, since he wishes to defend himself, I marvel how it ever occurred to him to do the things he did toward the sophists. For, handing over a youth to us, he thinks the whole matter has been settled; so great a thing does he reckon it to be a pupil with me. But I, for my part, was not displeased to see the youth, yet the charges remain, until that man, having handed himself over to me to treat as I wish, persuades me, by his willingness to undergo justice, not to exact justice. But those matters will be settled at some time; as for Letoius, make him great for us, since he is a kinsman of your nephews, and to me he ranks among my kinsmen. For the others, trusting in money, come to you, but he is worthy through his standing as an envoy, worthy to you as well. For we are not unaware that it was from appearing good men that you advanced toward holding power. Show, then, that this man is superior to those who suppose themselves superior to him.

Ὀλυμπίῳ καὶ Ἰοβίνῳ. (357) Σὺ μέν, Ὀλύμπιε, τὸν ἀγῶνα λαῷ, τὸν μισθὸν ἀπόδος· ἔστι δὲ ὁ μισθὸς τὸν ἑταῖρον ἡμῖν Στρατήγιον ἐπί τινος φα- νῆναι σχήματος. πάντως δὲ δύναμίς ἐστί σοι παρὰ τοῖς δυ- νατοῖς. τῷ δὲ ἀδελφῶ σου τὴν μὲν ἐμὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ὀργὴν οὐκ ἦν ἀγνοῆσαι, Κλημάτιος γὰρ οὐκ οἶδε σιγᾶν· ἀπολογεῖ- σθαι δὲ βουλομένῳ θαυμάζω πῶς ποτε ἐπῆλθεν ἃ πρὸς τοὺς σοφιστὰς ποιῆσαι. νέον γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐγχειρίζων οἴεται τὸ πᾶν λελύσθαι· τοσοῦτον εἶναι νομίζει παρ’ ἐμοὶ μαθητήν. ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν μὲν νέον οὐκ ἀηδῶς εἶδον, τὰ δὲ ἐγκλήματα μένει, μέχρις ἄν μοι παραδοὺς αὑτὸν ἐκεῖνος ὅ τι βούλομαι χρῆ- σθαι τούτῳ με αὐτῷ πείσῃ μὴ λαβεῖν δίκην τῷ δίκην ἐθέ- λειν ὑποσχεῖν. ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἔσται ποτέ· τὸν δὲ Λητόιον ἡμῖν ποιεῖτε μέγαν συγγενῆ μὲν ὄντα τῶν ἀδελφιδῶν ὑμῖν, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐν τάξει συγγενῶν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι χρήμασι πι- στεύοντες ὡς ὑμᾶς ἴασιν, ὁ δὲ τῷ πρεσβεύειν ἄξιος εἶναι καὶ ὑμῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοοῦμεν ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ χρηστοὶ φαίνεσθαι πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι προήλθετε. δείξατε δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα κρείττω τῶν οἰομένων αὐτοῦ κρειττόνων ἔσεσθαι.