Letter 552: Spectatus did something as good as if you had told me yourself: he wrote to say that you love me.

To Mygdonius. Spectatus did something as good as if you had told me yourself: he wrote to say that you love me. You played the role of a parent to me when we were in Athens, and that is the main reason I first placed my trust in you alone. But even more so after this: when I was living in Bithynia, having escaped the thunderbolt that struck there, you were the only one who fought my expellers in Thrace, standing alone in a crowd and shouting for justice on my behalf. Even Nicocles, on the strength of your courage in defending me, made you his friend -- though he hated me. At that moment he admired you for not betraying me to curry favor with him. And when you were both sailing to the farm, you spotted me on the shore not far from Chalcedon, ordered the sailor to put in where I was standing, climbed out and embraced me -- with Nicocles watching from the boat. So is it any wonder that a man with such a record now persuades the excellent Musonius to think better of me? You are like the best runners: each lap is faster than the last. Add to your past labors and present praise a show of eagerness for this man Letoius, who could take pride in his distinguished birth, the splendor of his public liturgies, and his skill in oratory, but would rather be known for his character than for any of those things. Success has never gone to his head, and in adversity he does not cower, remembering Euripides [who wrote extensively about enduring fortune]. He is the kind of friend you yourself are -- one who would sooner die than betray a companion. That is exactly your trait. And his devotion to me is so great that you could not ask for more. I can repay this man if you are willing. For him, it would be worth everything if Musonius looked on him favorably. And for you, arranging that would be the easiest thing in the world. Let him learn that, of all the letters of introduction he carries, the ones that helped him most are the ones from me -- the man in the threadbare cloak.

Μυγδονίῳ. (357) Ἶσον τι πεποίηκε Σπεκτάτος ὅτι με φιλεῖς ἐπιστείλας, ὥσπερ εἰ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἔλεγες. σὺ γὰρ Ἀθήνησί γε τὰ γονέων ἐπλήρωσας εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μὲν πρῶτον μόνῳ ἐθάρρησα σοί. μάλιστα δέ, ἐπειδή, ὅτε διῆγον ἐν Βιθυνίᾳ τὸν σκηπτὸν ἐκεῖ ὂν ἐκφυγών, σὺ τοῖς ἐκβαλοῦσιν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης ἐμάχου μό- νος ἐν μέσῳ πολλῶν ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων βοῶν. ὥστε σε καὶ Νικοκλῆς ἐκ τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνδρίας ἐποιήσατο φίλον μισῶν μὲν ἐμέ, τότε δὲ σὲ θαυμάσας, ὅτι με οὐ προὔδωκας, ὅπως ἐκείνῳ χαρίσαιο. καὶ δὴ καὶ ὅτε πρὸς τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐπλεῖτε, κατι- δών με ἐπὶ τῆς ἠιόνος οὐ πόρρω Χαλκηδόνος κελεύσας τὸν ναύτην ἔχειν οὗπερ εἱστήκειν, ἐκβὰς ἠσπάζου Νικοκλέους ὁρῶντος ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου. τί οὖν θαυμαστὸν εἰ ᾧ πέ- πρακται ἐκεῖνα, τὸν ἄριστον οὑτοσὶ Μουσώνιον πείθει τι δο- ξάζειν περὶ ἡμῶν ἄμεινον; μιμῇ γὰρ τῶν δρομέων τοὺς ἀγα- θούς, ὧν ἀεὶ τὰ δεύτερα βελτίω. πρόσθες δὴ καὶ τοῖς τότε πόνοις καὶ τοῖς νῦν ἐπαίνοις τὴν εἰς Λητόιον τουτονὶ προ- θυμίαν, ὃς ἔχων φιλοτιμεῖσθαι καὶ γένους ἐπιφανείᾳ καὶ λει- τουργιῶν λαμπρότητι καὶ τῷ δύνασθαι λέγειν βούλοιτ’ ἂν ἀπὸ τρόπων ἢ ὧν εἷπον εἶναί τις δοκεῖν. τοῦτον οὔτε εὐ- τυχία πώποτε ἐπῆρεν ἐν δυσκολίᾳ τε οὐκ ἔπτηξεν Εὐριπίδου μεμνημένος. φίλος δὲ τοιοῦτος ὁποῖος καὶ σύ, θᾶττον ἂν δε- ξάμενος τελευτὴν ἢ κακὸς εἰς ἑταῖρον γίνεσθαι, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σόν, ἀλλὰ μὴν ἥ γε πρὸς ἐμὲ σπουδὴ τοσαύτη ὥστε οὐκ ἂν μείζω ζητήσαις. ἔχω δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα ἀντευποιεῖν, εἰ βουλη- θείης. τούτῳ τε γὰρ ἀντὶ πάντων, εἰ Μουσώνιος αὐτὸν εὐ- μενῶς ἴδοι σοί τε ἐκεῖνον καταστῆσαι τοιοῦτον ῥᾷστον ἁπάν- των. μαθέτω δὴ ὅτι, παρ’ ὅσων κομίζει γράμματα, ταῦτα μάλιστα αὐτὸν ὤνησεν ἃ παρ’ ἡμῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ τρίβωνι φέρει.