Letter 756

To Caesarius. (362 AD) I have never seen Phrygia, but I honor it greatly — not so much for having raised the excellent Aesop as because the Phrygians preserve undying gratitude for noble governors. Though they count many governors since the good Julian, they still call him their benefactor. The passage of time has not dulled their affection. They sing his praises at home in common, and to those who come here he appears almost as a god. Every Phrygian who visits us would gladly gather the whole city into the theater to recount his deeds to them. And so they still find him eager to help them in whatever way his present station allows. His present help, then, is a set of letters earnestly asking you to consider this Theudianus a fair-minded man who deserves to prosper. Some of these letters come from my friend himself, on behalf of the Phrygians and of you; others come from me at his bidding — not that he would fail to persuade you without my help, but he has a lover's impulse, wanting everyone to join in championing his beloved cause. Here is your profit in this: if you give now no more than you would have given then, you will earn the gratitude not of one man but of many gray heads.

Καισαρίῳ. (362) Ἐγὼ Φρυγίαν μὲν οὐκ εἶδον, τιμῶ δὲ λίαν, οὐ μᾶλλον διὰ τὸ βεβοσκηκέναι τὸν βέλτιστον Αἴσωπον ἢ ὅτι τοῖς γεν- ναίοις ἄρχουσιν ἀθανάτους τηροῦσι τὰς χάριτας. πολλούς γε μετὰ τὸν χρηστὸν Ἰουλιανὸν ἡγεμόνας ἀριθμοῦντες τοῦτον εὐεργέτην καλοῦσι. καὶ τοῦ χρόνου τὸ μῆκος οὐκ ἤμβλυνε τὸ φίλτρον, ἀλλ’ οἴκοι τε αὐτὸν ᾄδουσι κοινῇ καὶ τοῖς δεῦρο ἰοῦσιν ὥσπερ τις θεὸς ὁρᾶται Φρύξ τε ἅπας ὡς ἡμᾶς ἥκων ἡδέως ἂν ἀγείρας εἰς τὸ θέατρον τὴν πόλιν τὰ τοῦδε πρὸς αὐτοὺς διέλθοι. διὸ καὶ τοῦτον πρόθυμον ἔτι καὶ νῦν εἰς αὑ- τοὺς ἔχουσι βοηθοῦντά σφισιν ὅσα ἔξεστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ παρόντος σχήματος. ἡ τοίνυν παροῦσα βοήθεια γράμματά ἐστι πολλὰ δεόμενα σοῦ Θευδιανὸν τοῦτον ἐπιεικῆ τε νομίζειν καὶ ἄξιον εὖ πράττειν. τούτων δὲ τῶν γραμμάτων τὰ μὲν αὐτοῦ τοῦ φίλου Φρύγων τε καὶ σοῦ, τὰ δ’ ἡμῶν αὐτοῦ κελεύοντος, οὐχ ὡς οὐ πείσοντος ἄνευ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐρωτικόν τι πέπονθε πάν- τας συμπνεῖν ἐθέλων ὑπὲρ τῶν αὑτοῦ παιδικῶν. ταυτὶ δέ σοι τὸ κέρδος, εἰ μηδὲν πλέον ὧν τότ’ ἂν ἔδωκας νῦν διδοὺς πολιοῖς ἀνθ’ ἑνὸς καταθήσῃ τὴν χάριν.