Letter 264: I have not yet met you, but I long to, and I am fond of you even before seeing you -- so many fine things are...

To Germanus. (360) I have not yet seen you, but I desire to see you, and I love you even before seeing you; so many fine things are reported about you by men who are both noble and good. And I considered it one of the absurd things that one who loves should not also have the confidence to ask a favor. I ask you, then, to receive this young man here, Hyperechius is his name, with all gentleness, and to send him on his way with all speed. For needing speed, I think, he has given up a pair of mules and is driving a horse, and that too while using a body less equal to the toil. But it lies within your power to take away much of his hardship. Having done this, give your orders as to whatever I might be able to perform in service. And I think it a fine thing that, the beginning of letters having come from me, the beginning of deeds should come from you. For in this way we would be set on an equal footing with one another, or rather, in this way too the victory would be yours, if indeed deeds are better than words.

Γερμανῷ. (360) Ἐγώ σε οὔπω μὲν εἶδον, ἰδεῖν δὲ ἐπιθυμῶ, φιλῶ δὲ καὶ πρὶν ἰδεῖν· οὕτω πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ παρ’ ἀνδρῶν καλῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀγγέλλεται περὶ σοῦ. φιλοῦντα δὲ μὴ καὶ θαρρεῖν χά- ριν αἰτεῖν ἕν τι τῶν ἀτόπων ἡγούμην. αἰτῶ δή σε τονδὶ τὸν νεανίσκον, Ὑπερέχιος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, μετὰ πάσης ἡμερότητος δέξασθαί τε κα πέμψαι διὰ τάχους. τάχους γάρ, οἶμαι, δεό- μενος ἀφεὶς ἡμιόνων ζεῦγος ἵππον ἐλαύνει καὶ ταῦτα ἐλάτ- τονι τοῦ πόνου χρώμενος σώματι. ἀλλ’ ἐν σοί γέ ἐστι πολ- Λὰ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἀφελεῖν. ὃ ποιήσας, ὅ τι δυναίμην ἂν ὑπουργεῖν, ἐπίταττε. καλὸν δὲ οἶμαι τῆς τῶν γραμμάτων ἀρ- χῆς παρ’ ἐμοῦ γεγενημένης τὴν τῶν ἔργων γενέσθαι παρὰ σοῦ. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν εἰς ἴσον κατασταίημεν ἀλλήλοις, μᾶλλον δέ, καὶ οὕτω σὸν τὸ νικᾶν, εἴπερ ἀμείνω τῶν λόγων τὰ ἔργα.