Letter 335: I am really ashamed of sending you the Cappadocians one by one. I should prefer to induce all our youths to devote themselves to letters and learning, and to avail themselves of your instruction in their training. But it is impracticable to get hold of them all at once, while they choose what suits themselves.

I am honestly a little embarrassed at sending you Cappadocians one at a time. I would prefer to persuade all our young people to devote themselves to learning and to benefit from your instruction. But I cannot round them all up at once -- they make their own choices. So I send you the ones I manage to win over, and I do it with the confidence that I am doing them as great a service as someone who leads thirsty men to a fountain. The young man I am sending now will be valued for his own sake once he has spent time in your company. He is already well known on account of his father, who has earned a reputation among us both for uprightness of life and for authority in our community. He is also a close friend of mine. In return for his friendship, I am giving his son the benefit of an introduction to you -- a gift that anyone with the judgment to appreciate a man of your caliber would earnestly pray for.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Basil to Libanius. I am really ashamed of sending you the Cappadocians one by one. I should prefer to induce all our youths to devote themselves to letters and learning, and to avail themselves of your instruction in their training. But it is impracticable to get hold of them all at once, while they choose what suits themselves. I therefore send you those who from time to time are won over; and this I do with the assurance that I am conferring on them a boon as great as that which is given by those who bring thirsty men to the fountain. The lad, whom I am now sending, will be highly valued for his own sake when he has been in your society. He is already well known on account of his father, who has won a name among us both for rectitude of life and for authority in our community. He is, moreover, a close friend of my own. To requite him for his friendship to me, I am conferring on his son the benefit of an introduction to you — a boon well worthy of being earnestly prayed for by all who are competent to judge of a man's high character.

[Πρός: Βασίλειος Λιβανίῳ] Αἰσχύνομαι καθʼ ἕνα σοι προσάγων τοὺς Καππαδόκας, ἀλλὰ μὴ πάντας τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ πείθων λόγων καὶ παιδεύσεως ἀντιποιεῖσθαι καὶ σοὶ κεχρῆσθαι τῆς ἀσκήσεως διδασκάλῳ. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πάντων εἰσάπαξ ἐπιτυχεῖν, τὰ προσήκοντα σφίσιν αὐτοῖς αἱρουμένων, οὐχ οἷόν τε, τοὺς ἑκάστοτε πειθομένους παραπέμπομέν σοι, τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς χαριζόμενος, ὅσον καὶ οἱ τοῖς διψῶσι καθηγούμενοι πρὸς τὰς πηγάς. Ὁ δὲ νῦν προσιὼν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἑαυτοῦ ἕνεκεν σπουδασθήσεται, ἐπειδάν σοι συγγένηται. νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ πατρός ἐστι γνώριμος, μέγα ἐπὶ ὀρθότητι βίου καὶ δυνάμει πολιτικῇ παρʼ ἡμῖν λαβόντος ὄνομα· ὃς καὶ ἐμοὶ εἰς τὴν ἄκραν φιλίαν ἥρμοσται. ἧς ἀμειβόμενος αὐτόν, τῷ παιδὶ ταύτην τὴν χάριν δίδωμι, σοὶ ποιῶν αὐτὸν γνώριμον, πρᾶγμα μεγίστης εὐχῆς ἄξιον τοῖς ἀρετὴν ἀνδρὸς κρίνειν ἐπισταμένοις.