Letter 681: Stop saying great things about small matters — my letters.

To Maximus. (361/62) Stop saying great things about small matters, that is, about my letters; and stop, too, persuading others to say the same things about them, in fear of the law that is laid down concerning those who deceive, and transfer the magnitude of your praises to the noble Photinus, to whom God has given a keen mind and a lofty spirit and a graceful charm and a capable tongue. And you yourself also enjoy his tongue to the greatest degree; for through however many it passes, it fills them all with the reputation concerning you, recounting what kind of cities you made for the Armenians. Pray, then, that the man may reach the ends of the earth; for in this way no one of mankind will be left without hearing of the noble deeds of Maximus.

Μαξίμῳ. (361/62) Παῦσαι μεγάλα περὶ μικρῶν λέγωι, τῶν ἐμῶν ἐπιστολῶν παῦσαι δὲ καὶ πείθων ἑτέρους ταὐτὰ περὶ αὐτῶν λέγειν δείσας τὸν νόμον ὃς κεῖται περὶ τῶν ἀπατώντων, κοὶ μετένεγκε τὸ τῶν ἐγκωμίων μέγεθος ἐπὶ τὸν γενναῖον Φωτεινόν, ᾧ φρένας ὀξείας καὶ λῆμα ὑψηλὸν κοὶ χάριν ἐμμελῆ καὶ γλώτταν ἱκανὴν ὁ θεὸς ἔδωκεν. τῆς γλώττης δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὰ μέγιστα ἀπολαύεις· δι’ ὅσης γὰρ ἔρχεται, πᾶσαν τῆς περὶ σοῦ δόξης πίμπλησι διηγούμενος, οἵας ἐποίησας Ἀρμενίοις τὰς πόλεις. εὔχου δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα μέχρι τερμάτων ἀφικέσθαι τῆς γῆς· οἴτῳ γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων ἀνήκοος ἔσται τῶν Μαξί- μου καλῶν.