Letter CCCXXXVII.

Basil to Libanius.

Lo and behold, yet another Cappadocian has come to you; a son of my own!  Yet my present position makes all men my sons.  On this ground he may be regarded as a brother of the former one, and worthy of the same attention alike from me his father, and from you his instructor—if really it is possible for these young men, who come from me, to obtain any further favours.  I do not mean that it is not possible for your excellency to give anything more to your old comrades, but because your services are so lavishly bestowed upon all.  It will be sufficient for the lad before he gets experience if he be numbered among those who are intimately known to you.  I trust you may send him back to me worthy of my prayers and of your great reputation in learning and eloquence.  He is accompanied by a young man of his own age, and of like zeal for instruction; a youth of good family, and closely associated with myself.  I am sure he will be in every way as well treated, though his means are smaller than is the case with the rest.

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΛΙΒΑΝΙῼ

[1] Ἰδού σοι καὶ ἕτερος ἥκει Καππαδόκης υἱὸς ἐμὸς καὶ αὐτός: πάντας γὰρ ἡμῖν εἰσποιεῖ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτο ἐν ᾧ νῦν ἐσμεν. Ὥστε κατά γε τοῦτο ἀδελφὸς ἂν εἴη τοῦ προλαβόντος καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς σπουδῆς ἄξιος ἐμοί τε τῷ πατρὶ καὶ σοὶ τῷ διδασκάλῳ, εἴπερ τι πλέον ὅλως δυνατὸν ἔχειν τοὺς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐρχομένους. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω οὐχ ὡς οὐκ ἂν τῆς σῆς λογιότητος πλέον τι τοῖς παλαιοῖς τῶν ἑταίρων χαριζομένης, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀφθόνου πᾶσι τῆς ὠφελείας σου προκειμένης. Ἀρκοῦν δ' ἂν εἴη τῷ νεανίσκῳ πρὸ τῆς ἐκ τοῦ χρόνου πείρας ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις τετάχθαι: ὃν ἀποπέμψαιο ἡμῖν ἄξιον τῶν τε ἡμετέρων εὐχῶν καὶ τῆς σαυτοῦ δόξης ἣν ἔχεις ἐν τοῖς λόγοις. Ἐπάγεται δὲ καὶ ἡλικιώτην τὴν ἴσην ἔχοντα περὶ τοὺς λόγους σπουδήν, εὐπατρίδην καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ ἡμῖν οἰκεῖον, ὃν μηδὲν ἔλαττον ἕξειν πιστεύομεν, κἂν πλεῖστον τῶν ἄλλων τοῖς χρήμασιν ἀπολείποιτο.