Letter CCVIII.1030    Placed in 375.

To Eulancius.

You have been long silent, though you have very great power of speech, and are well trained in the art of conversation and of exhibiting yourself by your eloquence.  Possibly it is Neocæsarea which is the cause of your not writing to me.  I suppose I must take it as a kindness if those who are there do not remember me, for, as I am informed by those who report what they hear, the mention made of me is not kind.  You, however, used to be one of those who were disliked for my sake, not one of those who dislike me for the sake of others.  I hope this description will continue to fit you, that wherever you are you will write to me, and will have kindly thoughts of me, if you care at all for what is fair and right.  It is certainly fair that those who have been first to show affection should be paid in their own coin.

ΕΥΛΑΓΚΙῼ

[1] Μακρὸν ἀπεσιώπησας χρόνον, καὶ ταῦτα λαλίστατος ὢν καὶ μελέτην τοῦτο καὶ τέχνην ποιησάμενος, ἀεί τι λαλεῖν καὶ σεαυτὸν δεικνύναι διὰ τῶν λόγων. Ἀλλ' ἔοικεν ἡ Νεοκαισάρεια αἰτία εἶναί σοι τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς σιωπῆς. Καὶ ἐοίκαμεν ἀντὶ χάριτος δέχεσθαι τὸ μνημονεύεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ ἡ μνήμη οὐκ ἀγαθή ἐστιν, ὡς ὁ τῶν ἀκουόντων λόγος. Ἀλλὰ σὺ πάλαι τῶν μισουμένων ἦσθα δι' ἡμᾶς, οὐ τῶν δι' ἑτέρους ἡμᾶς μισεῖν ἀνεχομένων. Ὁ αὐτὸς τοίνυν ἔσο καὶ ἐπιστέλλων οὗπερ ἂν ᾖς καὶ μεμνημένος ἡμῶν τὰ εἰκότα, εἴ τί σοι μέλει τοῦ δικαίου. Δίκαιον δέ που τῆς ἀγάπης τοῖς ἴσοις ἀμείβεσθαι τοὺς ὑπάρξαντας.