Letter 809
Libanius→Μοδέστῳ|libanius
To Modestus. (363)
Do well by the poets, for a debt of gratitude lodged with a poet is a fine treasure. Or rather, he will begin the favor with his verses — don't let yourself become his debtor, but repay the grace at once: gold for golden lines.
Only make sure that what he receives from us after your gift does not diminish yours. The gifts of the greater man must be greater.
Μοδέστῳ. (363)
Τοὺς ποιητὰς εὖ ποίει· καλὸς γὰρ θησαυρὸς παρ’ ἀνδρὶ
ποιητῇ χάρις ὀφειλομένη. μᾶλλον δέ, οὗτος μὲν ἄρξει χάριτος
ἐκ λόγων· σὺ δὲ μὴ ἀνάσχῃ γενέσθαι τῶν ὀφειλόντων, ἀλλ’
εὐθὺς ἀπόδος τὴν χάριν, χρυσίον ἀντὶ χρυσῶν ἐπῶν.
ἀλλ’
ὅπως ὧν παρ’ ἡμῶν λήψεται μετὰ τὸ ὑμέτερον μὴ ἔλαττον
γένηται τὸ ὑμέτερον. δεῖ γὰρ εἶναι μείζω τὰ δῶρα τῶν μει-
ζόνων.
◆
To Modestus. (363)
Do well by the poets, for a debt of gratitude lodged with a poet is a fine treasure. Or rather, he will begin the favor with his verses — don't let yourself become his debtor, but repay the grace at once: gold for golden lines.
Only make sure that what he receives from us after your gift does not diminish yours. The gifts of the greater man must be greater.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.