Letter 102: Your new governor is a friend of mine, and I'm confident his governorship will profit your province and bring credit...

LibaniusLeontius, rhetorician|c. 323 AD|Libanius
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**To Leontius** (357/58)

Your governor is a companion of mine, and I am confident that his administration will prove a boon to you, and a source of distinction both for me and for him. The other advantages you will share in common with everyone else, but you will have the edge over the rest whenever he pursues his love of eloquence. For what he himself is passionate about, that he will find in you — fountains of rhetorical skill; and what you stand in need of, that he possesses — judgment in listening joined with true discernment.

Make use of the favorable wind, then, and spread the sails of your ship — or, if you prefer, the wings of your swan.

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