Letter 250: So your good fortune does not stop with your sons, who are fine young men in love with learning.
Καισαρίῳ. (358/59?)
Οὐκ ἄρα μέχρι τῶν παίδων εὐδαίμων τις εἶ χρηστῶν τε
ὄντων καὶ παιδείας ἐρώντων, ἀλλά σε καὶ ὁ κηδεστὴς οὕτω
καλεῖσθαι ποιεῖ ταῦτα ἀμφότερα ὤν.
καί μοι δοκεῖς ἐν τῇ
περὶ τοῦ γάμου βουλῆ οὐ μέτρα γῆς καὶ χρυσοῦ σταθμὸν θαυ-
μάσαι μᾶλλον ἢ ὅτι γε τὴν ψυχὴν εὕρηκας χρυσῆν ἔχοντα ὡς
ἀληθῶς.
ἔγωγέ τοι τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν τοῦ φιλεῖν ἔλαβον ἀπὸ
τῶν παρὰ σοῦ γραμμάτων, χωρῶν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν πεῖραν
οὐκέτι σὴν χάριν τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ σὲ μᾶλλον νῦν ἢ πρότερον διὰ
τοῦτον ἀγαπῶ.
τί γὰρ οὐ τῶν τοῦδε καλόν; οὐ πρᾷος; οὐκ
ὀξὺς τὸν νοῦν; οὐκ εἰπεῖν δεινός; οὐ κρίνειν ἀγαθός; οὐ τοὺς
Κορύβαντας παριὼν ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς λόγους μανίᾳ;
βούλει
μέ τι τῶν ἀπορρήτων εἰπεῖν; πολλάκις μὲν εἰσῆλθεν ὡς ἐμὲ
διακείμενον ἀργῶς, ἐγένετο δὲ ἀντὶ κέντρου φανείς. πρὸς γὰρ
τὸ πρῶτον ῥηθὲν ἀναπηδῶν προῆγέ μοι τὴν γλῶτταν εἰς ἀκ-
μήν, ὥστε ἐμαυτῷ συνηδόμην. τῆς γε μὴν χρηστότητος ἀρ-
κοῦν τεκμήριον ἡ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ὁδός· ὃ γὰρ ἄλλοις ὑπ’ ἀδελφῶν
οὐ γεγένηται, παρὰ τοῦδε γέγονεν εἰς ἀδελφοὺς γυναικός.
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