Letter 711
Libanius→Acacius, friend|libanius
To Acacius, friend. (362)
You send people to greet me by word of mouth, but you have abandoned the greeting that comes in a letter -- and this despite being a man who can enchant through his writing. So if you have become a different person, tell me why. If you remain the same, do not begrudge me the greater thing.
As for Titianus -- I know he will be ours rather than a student of those who drink from the Callirrhoe [a famous spring in Athens -- meaning Athenian schools]. But I would like to learn whether this is your decision or his. For he wept when he left here. And I imagine he remembers me when he is with you, too.
Ἀκακίῳ. (362)
Τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ γλώττης με προσεροῦντας πέμπεις, τὰς
δ’ ἐν ἐπιστολαῖς προσρήσεις ἐκλέλοιπας καὶ ταῦτα θέλγειν
δυνάμενος ἐξ ἐπιστολῶν εἰ μὲν οὖν ἕτερος γέγονας, ἀνθ’
ὅτου, φράσον· εἰ δ’ ὁ αὐτὸς μεμένηκας, μὴ φθόνει τοῦ
μείζονος.
Τιτιανὸς δὲ ὅτι μὲν ἡμῶν ἔσται μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν
ἐκ τῆς Καλλιρρόης πινόντων, οἶδα· βουλοίμην δ’ ἂν μαθεῖν,
εἴτε σὴ τοῦτο ψῆφος εἴτε ἐκείνου. καὶ γὰρ ἐδάκρυσεν ἐνθένδε
ἀπαίρων· εἰκὸς δέ, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ σοὶ μνημονεύσας ἐμοῦ.
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To Acacius, friend. (362)
You send people to greet me by word of mouth, but you have abandoned the greeting that comes in a letter -- and this despite being a man who can enchant through his writing. So if you have become a different person, tell me why. If you remain the same, do not begrudge me the greater thing.
As for Titianus -- I know he will be ours rather than a student of those who drink from the Callirrhoe [a famous spring in Athens -- meaning Athenian schools]. But I would like to learn whether this is your decision or his. For he wept when he left here. And I imagine he remembers me when he is with you, too.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.