Letter 662: This Julian is a possession worthy of you: first in Greek, first in the language of the rulers [Latin], steeped in...

To Clearchus. (~361 AD) This Julian is a possession worthy of you: first in Greek, first in the language of the rulers [Latin], steeped in law, formidable in speech, a friend without guile, one who knows what it means to be wounded while defending a friend. Such is the grace of his learning that he can capture as many people as he wishes — for however many hear him speak, that many he has won over. Anyone who cares to may judge the man by this single fact: the person whom I consider the finest under the sun — and so does everyone who is not shamelessly contentious — you would find counts it a gain to live at Julian's side. Indeed, Salutius [praetorian prefect of the East] has made Julian his traveling companion, knowing that every hardship will be smoothed if he has this man at hand. Olympius too would have written you the same things about the man as I have, and would have praised the efforts you make on his behalf, had he not been away in Apamea watching the Olympic games.

Κλεάρχῳ. (361) Σοὶ κτῆμα πρέπον Ἰουλιανὸς οὑτοσί, πρῶτος μὲν ἐν Ελλάδι φωνῇ, πρῶτος δὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν κρατούντων, πλήρης νόμων δεινὸς εἰπεῖν, φίλος ἄδολος, εἰδὼς καὶ τρωθῆναι φίλῳ βοηθῶν. τοσαύτη δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς παιδείας ἡ χάρις, ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν ὁπόσους ἂν ἐθέλῃ θηρεῦσαι· ἐφ’ ὅσων γὰρ ἂν φθέγξηται, τοσούτους ᾕρηκεν. ἔξεστι δὲ τῷ βουλομένῳ καὶ δι’ ἑνὸς τοῦδε τὸν ἄνδρα μαθεῖν· ὃν γὰρ ἄριστον τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον ἐγώ τε ἡγοῦμαι καὶ ὅστις οὐ φιλονεικεῖ μετ’ ἀναι- δείας, τοῦτον εὕροις ἂν ἐν κέρδει ποιούμενον Ἰουλιανῷ συζῆν. ὥστε καὶ συνοδοιπορεῖν αὐτὸν αὑτῷ Σαλούτιος πεποίηκεν ὡς πᾶν δυσχερὲς λεῖον ἕξων, εἰ τῷδε παρόντι χρῷτο. 3, ἔγραψε δ’ ἄν σοι καὶ Ὀλύμπιος ὑπέρ τε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὅμοια τοῖς παρ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοὺς πόνους ἐπαινῶν οὓς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πονεῖς, εἰ μὴ ἔτυχεν ἀπὼν ἐν Ἀπαμείᾳ τὰ Ὀλύμπια θεώμενος.