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) This man Julianus is a possession befitting you: first in eloquence among the Greeks, and first among the rulers, full of [...] mighty at speaking, a guileless friend, who knows even how to be wounded while aiding a friend. So great in him is the charm of his learning that he is master to hunt down as many as he wishes; for upon however many he speaks, just so many has he captured. It is possible, moreover, for anyone who wishes to come to know the man through this one thing alone: for the very man whom I consider the best of all under the sun, and whoever does not contend shamelessly, him you would find counting it as a gain to live alongside Julianus. So much so that Salutius has made him his fellow traveler, expecting to have every difficulty made smooth, if he should make use of this man's presence. And Olympius too would have written to you about the man in the same terms as those from me, and praising the labors which you labor on his behalf, had he not chanced to be 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.