Letter 828
Libanius→Μεμορίῳ|libanius
To Memorius. (363 AD)
I consider that day the beginning of our friendship — the day I invited you to a modest dinner, and you thought even small things were grand and went away in better spirits.
I am doing what friendship requires: I write to you, trusting that you will return the favor and write back. The man who will deliver this letter is one who has associated with us with both propriety and eagerness. I have granted him the favor of meeting you; you will grant me the favor of receiving him kindly.
Μεμορίῳ. (363)
Ἐγὼ φιλίας ἀρχὴν ἡμῖν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην γεγενῆσθαι
νομίζω, ἐν ᾗ σε ἐκάλουν ἐπὶ φαύλην θοίνην, σοὶ δὲ ἐδόκει
καὶ τὰ μικρὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀπῄεις ἡδίων γενόμενος.
πράττω
δὴ τὸ τῇ φιλίᾳ πρέπον καὶ ἐπιστέλλω πιστεύων ὅτι με μιμού-
μενος ἀντεπιστελεῖς. παρ’ οὗ δὲ λήψῃ τὰ γράμματα, τῶι
ἡμῖν ἐστιν ὡμιληκότων μετὰ κόσμου τι καἰ προθυμίας. ᾧ
κεχάρισμαι τὸ ἐντυχεὶν σοι, σὺ δὲ ἐμοὶ χαριῇ τὸ τοῦτον ἡμέ-
ρως ἰδεῖν.
◆
To Memorius. (363 AD)
I consider that day the beginning of our friendship — the day I invited you to a modest dinner, and you thought even small things were grand and went away in better spirits.
I am doing what friendship requires: I write to you, trusting that you will return the favor and write back. The man who will deliver this letter is one who has associated with us with both propriety and eagerness. I have granted him the favor of meeting you; you will grant me the favor of receiving him kindly.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.