Letter 659: If I did not know you as a man who understands friendship — one who has often worried and labored so that some good...

To Italicianus (361). If I did not know that you understand how to love, and that on many occasions you have both taken much thought and labored greatly that some good might come to your companions, I would have been very much afraid that the multitude of my letters might prove a burden to you; but as it is—for you too are among those who praise Achilles—I trust that I shall seem to be a worthy man, because I do not cease from crying out and entreating. I say then once again that Severus joined our chorus, learning the lesser matters in our company, but being able to advance to the greater things as well; and even now, if you look, you will find philosophy in him, since Maximus planted this fair thing in his soul. And as you would have honored Maximus while he lived, so honor him now that he has departed. And you would honor him more greatly by thinking it right to help Severus than if you were to come and crown his tomb. But take care that the cloak and the absent beard do not cast you into disbelief concerning the more venerable studies that are in him. For this man, in the words of Aeschylus, wishing to be rather than to seem, makes use of these things instead of those; so that, just as wisdom does not altogether come together with the worn cloak and the long hair, so too it may be possible, without these, to be a man of serious worth.

Ἰταλικιανῷ (361) Εἰ μή σε ᾔδειν φιλεῖν ἐπιστάμενον καὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις καὶ μεριμνήσαντα καὶ πονήσαντα τοῦ τοῖς ἑταίροις ἀγαθόν τι γενέσθαι, πάνυ ἂν ἔδεισα μή σοι προσστῇ τὸ πλῆθος γραμ- μάτων· νῦν δέ, τῶν γὰρ ἐπαινούντων εἶ καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν Ἀχιλ- λέα, πιστεύω δόξειν εἶναι χρηστός, ὅτι βοῶν καὶ δεόμενος οὐ παύομαι. λέγω δὴ πάλιν ὡς Σευῆρος συνεχόρευσεν ἡμῖν τὰ μὲν ἐλάττω μεθ’ ἡμῶν μανθάνων, δυνηθεὶς δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω προβῆναι καὶ νῦν, ἂν ζητῇς, ἐν αὐτῷ φιλοσοφίαν εὑρήσεις Μαξίμου φυτευσαμένου τουτὶ τὸ καλὸν ἐν τῇ τοῦδε ψυχῇ. Μάξιμον δὲ ὥσπερ ἆν ἐτίμας ζῶντα, τίμα καὶ με- ταστάντα. τιμῴης δ’ ἂν μειζόνως Σευήρῳ βοηθεῖν ἀξιῶν ἢ εἰ προσιὼν ἐστεφάνους αὐτῷ τὸν τάφον. ἀλλ’ ὅπως μή σε ἡ χλαμὺς καὶ ὁ πώγων ἀπὼν εἰς ἀπιστίαν ἐμβάλῃ περὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ λόγων τῶν σεμνοτέρων. οὗτος γὰρ κατ’ Αἰσχύλον εἶναι ἐθέλων μᾶλλον ἢ δοκεῖν τούτοις ἀντ’ ἐκείνων χρῆται ὥσπερ οὖν οὐ πάντως μετὰ τοῦ τρίβωνος καὶ τῶν τριχῶν ἡ σοφία, οὕτω γένοιτ’ ἂν ἄνευ τούτων εἶναι σπουδαῖον.