Letter 709: If you did not already know Theophilus, I would tell you that even when circumstances invited excess, the man...

LibaniusCelsus, governor of Cilicia|c. 381 AD|Libanius|AI-assisted
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If you did not already know Theophilus, I would tell you that even when circumstances invited excess, the man remained moderate. But since you do know him and treat him well on that account, I have no need to teach or urge you. I simply commend you for counting the man among those who deserve your care.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.

Latin / Greek Original

Τῷ αὐτῶ. (362)

Εἰ μὲν ἠγνόεις Θεόφιλον, ἐδίδασκον ἄν σε ὅτι οὗτος ἐν
καιρῷ παρέχοντι παροινεῖν μέτριος ἦν· ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ οἶσθα καὶ
διὰ τοῦτ’ εὖ ποιεῖς, διδάσκειν μὲν ἢ παρακαλεῖν οὐδὲν ἄν σε
δεοίμην, ἐπαινῶ δέ, ὅτι τὸν ἄνδρα τῶν προνοίας ἀξίων ἡγῇ.

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