Letter 555: Word of the deeds this man Maiorinus has done for me has probably reached you already.

To Andronicus. Word of the deeds this man Maiorinus has done for me has probably reached you already. You make it your business to know everything about my affairs, and his actions on my behalf have been the kind to create a reputation. But there is no harm in hearing it from me as well. This young man comes from a distinguished family -- his father held the highest office. He studied rhetoric under no mediocre sophist. But when I arrived and gave a performance, he was immediately won over. He did not dishonor his former teacher, but he admired me -- approaching me, spending time with me, showing affection, offering praise, and working to increase the size of my student body. He said everything and did everything, and proved himself no worse than you and the others who have chosen my side, and better than many people here. When some people criticized him for placing someone who was not his teacher above his actual teacher, he replied: "Do you really think it is noble to place the inferior before the superior?" He answered them with arguments like that, and accused them of committing -- as the saying goes -- a crime against his own vital organs by asking him not to eat. The young man is genuinely good in every respect: slow to anger, steadfast in friendship, and willing to make his fortune seem smaller than it is in order to help his associates. He gives away not just a leaf from the olive tree, as they say, but enough to make a man rich -- all to relieve his friends' difficulties. He is thoughtful where thought is needed and does not run from pleasures that delight the mind. Anyone who spends even a little time with him is captivated by the gentleness and charm of his character. Through you, let him meet the best people among you, and through you, let him make them his friends. As for the fact that he travels in the company of men who are not friends of mine -- do not be suspicious. It is a matter of necessity: he shares their carriage, not their views. Test him and talk to him, and you will say I was not deceived.

Ἀνδρονίκῳ. (357) Εἰκὸς μὲν ἥκειν ὡς ὑμᾶς λόγον τῶν ἔργων, οἷς εἰς ἐμὲ κέχρηται Μαιορῖνος οὑτοσί· ὑμῖν τε γὰρ ἐπιμελὲς μηδὲν τῶν ἐμῶν ἀγνοεῖν τά τε τούτου τοιαῦτα περὶ ἡμᾶς, οἷα φή- μην ἂν ποιήσαι, κωλύει δὲ οὐδὲν καὶ παρ’ ἐμοῦ λεχθῆναι. οὗτος γενόμενος ἐξ ἐνδόξων, τὴν γὰρ δὴ μεγίστην ἦρξεν ἀρχὴν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ φοιτήσας ἐπὶ λόγοις οὐ παρὰ φαῦλον σοφιστήν, ἐπειδὴ ἥκων ἔδειξα λόγον, εὐθὺς ἑάλω καὶ τὸν μὲν οὐκ ἠτίμασεν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐθαύμασε καὶ προσιὼν καὶ συνὼν καὶ φιλῶν καὶ ἐπαινῶν καὶ συμπράττων εἰς αὔξησιν τοῦ ποιμνίου, καὶ πάντα μὲν λέγων, πάντα δὲ ποιῶν ὑμῶν τε τῶν τὰ ἡμέτερα ἑλομένων οὐ χείρων τῶν τε ἐνταῦθα πολλῶν ἐφάνη βελτίων. ἐπιτιμώντων δὲ ἐνίων αὐτῶ τὸ τὸν οὐ διδάσκαλον πρὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου ποιεῖσθαι τόδε φαυλότερον ἴφη πρὸ τοῦ βελτίονος τίθε- σθαι τῶν καλῶν ὑμῖν εἶναι δοκεῖ; τοιούτοις ἀπήντα πρὸς αὐτοὺς λόγοις καὶ ὡς ἀδικοῖεν αὑτὸν σπλάγχνων, φασί, ποιοῦντες μὴ φαγεῖν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὅλως ὁ νεανίσκος άγα- θός, οὐχ ἕτοιμος εἰς ὀργήν, βέβαιος εἰς φιλίαν, εἰδὼς ποιῆσαι τὸ ὄντα ἐλάττω τοῦ βοηθῆσαι γνωρίμοις. οὐ γὰρ ὅσον φύλλον ἀπ’ ἐλαίας, φασίν, ἀλλ’ ὅσοις ἄν τις γένοιτο πλούσιος, τοσού- τῶν ἀφίσταται λύων ἀκαιρίαν ἑταίρων· φροντίζων δὲ ἐν οἷς δεῖ φροντίδος οὐ φεύγει τὰ φέροντα τῇ γνώμῃ τέρψιν. ὅστις δὲ αὐτῷ συγγένοιτο καὶ μικρά, κατέχεται τῇ τε πρᾳότητι καὶ χάριτι τῶν τρόπων. μαθέτω δὴ διὰ σοῦ τῶν παρ’ ὑμῖν τοὺς σπουδαίους καὶ πρὸς τῷ μαθεῖν κτησάσθω διὰ σοῦ τοὺς σπουδαίους συνήθεις. τὴν δὲ τῆς πορείας κοινωνίαν, ἣν ποιεῖται μετὰ τῶν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐπιτηδείων, μὴ λάβῃς δι’ ὑπο- ψίας. ἀνάγκῃ τε γὰρ συμβέβηκε καὶ τοῦ μὲν ὀχήματος κοι- νωνεῖ, τῆς δὲ γνώμης ἀποστατεῖ. πειρώμενος δὲ καὶ εἰς λό- γους ἰὼν φήσεις οὐκ ἠπατῆσθαί με.