Letter 11: Aeneas asks Marinianus to stage a contest of eloquence for Ponto.

In my exercises, excellent Ponto outran the others through hard work, and that contributes greatly to gathering learning. He absorbed the contests of rhetoric, added the variety of the laws, and still has not had his fill of labor. He has set out for you like a good athlete traveling to Olympia, already well prepared for the contest. If you breathe spirit into him, I predict the young man will be an Olympic victor. May it be yours to preside splendidly over the games and to set prizes not for boxing and wrestling but for eloquence and self-control. I greet the most renowned Victor, the distinguished Stephen, the charming John, and your household, who are also my companions.