Letter 827: My dearest Julianus ought to be returning home for other reasons — to see his mother and to bring her the sweetest...

To Entrechius. (363 AD) My dearest Julianus ought to be returning home for other reasons — to see his mother and to bring her the sweetest old age through her son's excellence. But instead he comes to shed tears at a tomb and to grieve doubly for the woman who bore him: that she is gone, and that she died as she did. And there is a third misfortune: he has been compelled to contend over such matters against those he least wished to face, a struggle in which some old tragedy must inevitably be brought to light. Against all this there is one consolation: your judgment, your authority, and your friendship. Because of all these I urged him to take courage, as though not only his mother but his father too were still alive. The matter of the killing you will judge as the evidence leads. But once that is concluded, make my Julianus great — in his city and in his province — and imitate Athena's care for Odysseus. Surely you will not be ashamed to advance a young man who has intelligence, self-control, and eloquence, the kind of man anyone would wish for as a son. I say this not because I think you need encouragement — you who have been holding his household together even in his absence — but because when I think of Julianus I cannot speak briefly or fall silent quickly, knowing as I do his many great qualities. That is why I would not hesitate to call him the leading figure in our chorus. So do not be surprised if I go on at length. And if letters come to you frequently, forgive that too. About the help you will give, I could prophesy. But loving him as much as I do will not let me stop worrying. If you care about my happiness, write to me at once about the first developments, and again about the second. Let each action be accompanied by a letter reporting your assistance, so that he may be congratulated there while I too share in the good cheer.

Ἐντρεχίῳ. (363) Ἐπ’ ἄλλοις ἐχρῆν ἐπανιέναι τὸν φίλτατόν μοι Ἰουλιανὸν ὀψόμενόν τε τὴν μητέρα καὶ ποιήσοντα αὐτῇ γῆρας ἥδιστον τῇ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀρετῇ. νῦν δὲ ἔρχεται δάκρυά τε ἐπαφήσων τῷ τάφῳ καὶ διπλῇ τὴν τεκοῦσαν πενθήσων, ὅτι τε ἀπῆλθε καὶ ὅτι οὕτως. καὶ τρίτον κακὸν τὸ ἠναγκάσθαι αὐτὸν πρὸς οὓς ἥκιστα ἐβούλετο περὶ τοιούτων ἀγωνίζεσθαι, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη καὶ παλαιάν τινα τραγῳδίαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. πρὸς δὴ ταῦτα πάντα παραμυθία μία, ἡ σὴ γνώμη τε καὶ ἀρχὴ καὶ φιλία. δι’ ἃ πάντα θαρρεῖν αὐτῷ παρεκελευσάμην ὡς οὐ μόνον τῆς μητρός, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς περιόντος τὰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τὸν φόνον κρινεῖς, ᾗ ἄν ὁ ἔλεγχος ἄγῃ· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ταῦτα πέρας ἔχῃ, ποίει μοι μέγαν τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν ἱν τι τῇ πόλει καὶ τῷ ἔθνει καὶ μιμοῦ τὴν τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς εὶς τὸν Ὀδυσ- σέα πρόνοιαν. πάντως δὲ οὐκ αἰσχυνῇ νεανίσκοι ὗς ἄμ· εἰσάγων νοῦν τε ἔχοντα καὶ σώφρονα καὶ δεινὸν εὶπεῖν κοὶ οἷον Μευ· ἄν τις αὑτῷ γενέσθαι παῖδα. λέγω δὲ ταῦτα οὐχ ἡγούμενος σὲ δεῖσθαι παρακλήσεως, ὅς γε καὶ ἀπόντος αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον συνέχεις ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην Ἰουλιανοῦ μεμνημένος ἢ μικρὰ εἰπεῖν ἢ ταχέως σιγῆσαι μεγάλα αὐτῷ καὶ πολλὰ συνειδώς· δι’ ὃ καὶ κορυφαῖον οὐκ ἂν ὀκνήσαιμι τοῦ παρ’ ἡμῖν προσειπεῖν χοροῦ. μὴ τοίνυν εἰ μηκύνοιμι, θαύμαζε. κἂν πυκνά σοι γράμματα ἔρχηται, καὶ τούτου συγ- γνώμην δίδου. περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ βοηθείας μαντευσαίμην. τὸ δὲ ἄγαν φιλεῖν οὐκ ἐᾷ με μὴ φροντίζειν. εἰ οὖν σοι μέλει τοῦ ὡς ἥδιστά με διάγειν, ἐπὶ τοῖς πρώ- τοις εὐθὺς ἐπίστελλε, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τοῖς δευτέροις. καὶ προσ- έστω τῶν πραττομένων ἑκάστῳ γράμμα μηνῦον τὰς βοηθείας, ὥστε τὸν μὲν ἐκεῖ μακαρίζεσθαι, κοινωνεῖν δὲ καὶ ἐμὲ τῆς εὐ- θυμίας.