Letter 751: Mine was a desire not entirely unreasonable; yours was the wiser counsel.

To Hierius. (362) My part was a certain desire not altogether outside of reason, while your part was the more prudent counsel. "As for the matters in which the old man takes part," says the verse [Homer, Iliad 1.343], "he will look ahead, so that they may make no mistake." And you will perhaps be vexed if I call you an old man, as though you yourself were still in your first beard; but I, for my part, admit that I am an old man, for indeed, if I were to deny it, the refutation comes from my head [i.e. my grey hair]. Yet I would say that with you old age is more advanced, recalling both my own and your age in the schools. It is therefore no wonder if, along with your own son, you also instruct me, who am younger than your boy. Since, then, I have accepted this admonition as well, and will be persuaded in the rest, tell me and advise me of those very things which you may consider best.

Ἱερίῳ. (362) Τὸ μὲν ἡμέτερον ἦν ἐπιθυμία τις οὐ παντάπασιν ἔξω λόγου, τὸ δὲ σὸν συμβουλὴ σωφρονεστέρα. οἶς δ’ ὁ γέρων μετέῃσι, φησὶ τὸ ἔπος, ὅπως μηδὲν ἁμαρτήσονται σκέψεται καὶ χαλεπανεῖς μὲν ἴσως, εἰ γέροντα ἐγώ σε καλῶ καθάπερ αὐτὸς ὢν ἐν ὑπήνη πρώτῃ ἐγὼ δὲ εἶναι μὲν γέρων ὁμολογῶ, καὶ γάρ, ἢν ἀρνῶμαι, παρὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὁ ἔλεγχος· εἶναι μέν- τοι παρὰ σοὶ γῆρας πλέον φαίην ἂν ἀναμιμνησκόμενος τῆς τε ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ σῆς ἐν διδασκαλείοις ἡλικίας. οὐδὲν οὖν θαυμα- στὸν εἰ μετὰ τοῦ σαυτοῦ παιδὸς καὶ τὸν σοῦ νεώτερον παι- δεύεις ἐμέ. ὡς οὖν καὶ ταύτην δεξαμένου τὴν παραίνε- σιν καὶ τἄλλα πεισομένου λέγε καὶ συμβούλευε ταῦθ’ ἅπερ ἂν ἄριστα νομίσῃς