Letter 57

To Florentius. (359/360) When your letter arrived summoning Priscianus -- the dearest of all men to me -- a great buzz went through the city. Everyone said you were exceeding our hopes, and they crowded around him to congratulate him, each one becoming a prophet of the honors to come. For my part, what you did was entirely in line with my expectations. I knew you were a good man, and it would have been strange if such a man had not done such things. But while congratulating the man who had been summoned, as everyone else was doing, I felt I should also congratulate you -- the one who proposed it -- and the one who accepted the proposal, and our own city. For to promote to power men who are worthy of it brings as much credit to those doing the promoting as to the man receiving the honor. When Jason brought Heracles aboard the Argo, everyone thought he showed good sense. Who would not congratulate one man for the power to save, and the other for knowing with whom he should sail? Now this Heracles of ours will perform whatever task you set him with all the distinction it deserves, and the credit will be shared: Florentius, who knows how to act rather than merely talk, for proposing it, and the one who was persuaded...

**To Florentius** (359/360) When your letter arrived summoning Priscianus, dearest to me of all men, a great buzz went through the city that you were exceeding all expectations, and people crowded around congratulating the man, each one becoming a prophet of the office to come. For my part, what you had done was very much in line with my hopes, for I knew you to be a good man, and it was no wonder that such a man should do such things. But while I counted the one who had been summoned fortunate, as everyone else did, I thought I ought also to count fortunate both you who gave the counsel and the one who accepted the recommendation, and our city as well. For to advance to positions of power those who are worthy of them is no less a credit to those who do the advancing than to the one who receives the honor — since even Jason, when he brought Heracles aboard the Argo, was thought to show good judgment. And who would not have rejoiced with the one for his power to save, and with the other for his good eye in seeing with whom he ought to sail? So now this Heracles of ours will carry out whatever task you set him in a manner worthy of the highest praise, and sharers in that praise will be Florentius, who gave the recommendation — a man who knows how to act rather than merely talk — and the emperor who was persuaded, he who upholds the world. Our community, too, has been honored by this. For Priscianus was born elsewhere, but the quality for which he is admired — that he owes to my city, which received him when he was a lover of eloquence and sent him away full of it. One mixing bowl stood between us, and we drank together. And so he used to join his prayers to mine when I presided over my assemblies, and I would sing his praises when he prevailed in the courts, which he conducted with such soundness that for the judges his very nods carried the weight of written law. Now, to speak with careful preparation when one is contending in a case — that is not yet so remarkable. But this man, at every moment and in every place and on whatever subject he happens to speak, would seem to be speaking with deliberation, so firmly does he believe that one should never be careless with words. Yet the beauty of his character surpasses even the grace of his speech. For though he has now reached grey hairs, even before he came to manhood he displayed the qualities of an old man, and among other things he mastered his tongue, just as Anacharsis commanded. Even now an ill-considered syllable would no more escape him than it would a statue. But you will think I am going on at needless length to you, who summoned him precisely because you knew all this. I have gone through it not to instruct you in his character, but to show that the nurse has a share in the honors that come and will come to her nursling from you. Therefore, as one who is performing before all of us as spectators, and who through this orator will be conferring a favor on the whole community, raise our man up and bring him to a position worthy of both you and him, and never cease lending your support to men of merit. For by this alone you could surpass those who administered the same office before you. The title is the same and the power is equal, but whereas they rushed after money, you must show yourself as one who brings distinction to men who have some share in virtue. For it is a fine thing that in days to come people should sing of their wealth — but of your judgment.

Φλωρεντίῳ. (359/360) Ἐπειδή σου τὰ γράμματα ἧκε καλοῦντα τὸν πάντων ἐμοῖ φίλτατον Πρισκιανόν, θροῦς ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει πολὺς ὡς κρείττω σου ποιοῦντος τῶν ἐλπίδων, καὶ περιχυθέντες εὐδαι- μόνιζον τὸν ἄνδρα μάντις ἕκαστος γιγνόμενος τοῦ μέλλοντος σχήματος. ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν πεπραγμένον ἦν καὶ σφόδρα κατ’ ἐλπίδας, ᾕσειν γάρ σε ὄντα ἀγαθόν, τὸν δὲ τοιοῦτον οὐ τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν ἦν θαυμαστόν. μακαρίζων δὲ τὸν κεκλη- μένον, ὥσπερ οἱ ἄλλοι, μακαρίζειν ᾤμην δεῖν καὶ σὲ τὸν σύμ- βουλον καὶ τὸν τὴν εἰσήγησιν δεξάμενον καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν. τὸ γὰρ ἄγειν ἐπὶ τὴν δύναμιν οὓς ἄξιον αὐτῶν ἐστι τῶν ἀγόντων ἔπαινος οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τοῦ δεχομένου τὴν τιμήν, ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰάσων ἐμβιβάζων εἰς τὴν Ἀργὼ τὸν Ἡρακλέα νοῦν ἔχειν ἐδόκει. καὶ τίς ἂν οὐ τῷ μὲν συνήσθη τοῦ δύ- νᾶσθαι σώζειν , τῷ δὲ τοῦ καλῶς ἰδεῖν μεθ’ οὗ πλεῖν ἴδει; καὶ νῦν πράξει μὲν οὗτος ὁ Ἡρακλῆς ἐφ’ ὅ τι ἂν αὐτὸν ἐπιστήσητε πάσης εὐφημίας ἀξίως, κοινωνοὶ δὲ τῆς εὐφημίας ὅ τε δοὺς τὴν γνώμην Φλωρέντιος ὁ πράττειν εἰδὼς μᾶλλον ἢ λαλεῖν ὅ τε πεισθεὶς βασιλεὺς ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀνέχων. κεκόσμηται δὲ καὶ τὸ κοινὸν ἡμῖν. γέγονε μὲν γὰρ ἑτέρωθι Πρισκιανός, δι’ ὃ δὲ θαυμάζεται, τοῦτο αὐτῷ παρὰ τῆς ἐμῆς πόλεως, ἣ παραλαβοῦσα αὐτὸν ἐρῶντα λόγων μεστὸν ἀπέφηνε λόγων. εἷς δὲ ἡμῖν εἱστήκει κρατὴρ καὶ συνεπίνομεν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεύχετο μὲν οὗτος ἐμοὶ χρωμένῳ συλλόγοις, ἔπη δῶν δὲ ἐγὼ τοῦδε κρατοῦντος ἐν δίκαις, ἃς οὕτως ὑγιῶς μετῄει ὥστε τοῖς δικασταῖς ἀντὶ τῶν γραμμάτων εἶναι τὰ τού- του νεύματα. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀγωνιζόμενον μετὰ φροντίδος ἀγορεύειν οὔπω τοσοῦτον, ἀλλ’ οὗτός γε ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ καὶ χωρίῳ καὶ περὶ ὅτου δὴ φθεγγόμενος ἐσκεμμένως ἂν δόξαι λέγειν οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε ἡγεῖται προσήκειν ἀμελῆσαι ῥη- μάτων. τὴν δὲ τῶν ῥημάτων ὥραν παρέρχεται τῶν ἠθῶν τὸ κάλλος. νῦν μὲν γὰρ εἰς πολιὰν ἥκει, πρὶν δὲ εἰς ἄνδρας ἐξελθεῖν τὰ γερόντων ἐδείκνυ τῇ τε ἄλλῃ καὶ δὴ καὶ γλώττης, ὡσπερ ἐκέλευσεν Ἀνάχαρσις, ἐκράτει. καὶ νῦν οὐ μᾶλλον ἂν αὐτὸν ἡ τοὺς ἀνδριάντας ἐκφύγοι συλλαβὴ τῶν σιγᾶσθαι δι- καίων. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οἰήσῃ με τηνάλλως μηκύνειν πρὸς σὲ τόν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα αὐτῷ συνῄδεις, κεκληκότα, διῆλθον δὲ οὐ δι- δαχῆς ἕωεκα τῶν τρόπων, τοῦ δεῖξαι δέ, ὡς μέτεστι τῇ τροφῷ τῶν τῷ τροφίμῳ παρὰ σοῦ γιγνομένων τε καὶ ἐσομένων. ὡς οὖν ἐν πᾶσιν ἡμῖν θεωροῖς ἐπιδεικνύμενος καὶ διὰ τοῦ ῥήτορος τῷ κοινῷ χαριούμενος μετάστησον ἡμῖν τὸν ἄνδρα φέρων εἰς σχῆμα σοί τε καὶ ἐκείνῳ πρέπον καὶ μὴ παύσῃ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν συλλαμβάνων. τούτῳ γὰρ ἂν καὶ μόνῳ νικήσαις τοὺς πρὸ σοῦ ταὐτὰ ἃ σὺ νῦν διῳκηκό- τας. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὄνομα ταὐτὸ καὶ δύναμις ἴση, δεῖ δὲ σὲ ἐκεί- νων ἐπὶ χρήματα ὡρμηκότων αὐτὸν φανῆναι λαμπρύνοντα τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν οἷς τι μέτεστιν ἀρετῆς. καλὸν γὰρ ὕστερον ᾄδεσθαι τῶν μὲν τὸν πλοῦτον, σοῦ δὲ τὴν ψῆφον.