Letter 640: Eudikios is said to have grieved only briefly for his father, and the reason is said to be you — you who removed...

To Maximus. (361) Eudaemon [the name in the source is OCR-garbled] is said to have mourned little for his father, and the cause of this is said to be you, who took away from him the awareness of his orphanhood by many and great deeds, which it was no worse for us than for those present to learn from the very man who had been saved, as he disclosed them in a long letter. So the reward from us you already carry off: applause and praises and the fact that no one is ignorant of these things; and it is likely that there will be still greater rewards for you, such as the gods are accustomed to give to good men. I used to think that I ought to encourage you beforehand, but now I no longer do so. For indeed I see that generals, before the deeds, rouse the combatants with words, but afterward consider the very things accomplished sufficient to spur them on to what remains. This young man you have long been benefiting, and now you will see him sharing with his father his name, and with his brother his ways.

Μαξίμῳ. (361) Μικρὰ πενθῆσαι λέγεται Εiδkηος τὸν πατέρα, τούτου δὲ αἴτιον εἶναι σὲ τὸν τῆς ὀρφανίας αὐτῷ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἀφε- λόντα πολλοῖς καὶ μεγάλοις ἔργοις, ἃ τῶν παρόντων οὐ χεῖρον ἡμῖν ὑπῆρξε μαθεῖν αὐτοῦ τοῦ σεσωσμένου μηνύοντος ἐν ἐπι- στολῇ μακρᾷ. τὰ μὲν οὖν παρ’ ἡμῶν ἤδη κομίζῃ, κρότον καὶ ἐπαίνους καὶ τὸ μηδένα ταῦτα ἀγνοεῖν· εἰκὸς δέ σοι καὶ τοὺς μείζους ἔσεσθαι μισθούς, οὓς εἰώθασι διδόναι τοῖς ἀγα- θοῖς οἱ θεοί. παρακαλεῖν δέ σε πρότερον μὲν ᾤμην δεῖν, νῦν δὲ οὐκέτι. καὶ γὰρ ἰοὺς στρατηγοὺς ὁρῶ πρὸ μὲν τῶν ἔργων λόγῳ κινοῦντας τοὺς μαχομένους, ἔπειτα ἀρκεῖν ἡγου- μένους αὐτὰ τὰ εἰργασμένα παρακαλέσαι πρὸς τὰ λοιπά. τουτονὶ δὲ τὸν νεανίσκον πάλαι μὲν εὖ ποιεῖς, νῦν δὲ ὄψει κοινωνοῦντα τῷ μὲν πατρὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος, τῷ δὲ ἀδελφῷ τῶν τρόπων.