Letter 276: I expect you have already befriended Leontius the sophist, since he possesses eloquence and you love it.
Libanius→Maximus|c. 340 AD|Libanius
education booksfriendship
Μαξίμῳ. (358)
Οἶμαί σοι Λεόντιον τὸν σοφιστὴν ἤδη γεγονέναι φίλον,
ἐπειδὴ λόγους ὁ μὲν κέκτηται, σὺ δὲ φιλεῖς. τούτου συγγενὴς
οὑτοσὶ Κλεόπατρος Λαὶ μαθητής, ὃν ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐμοὶ συνέ-
στῆσεν, ἐγὼ δὲ σοί.
τὸ μὲν οὖν παρ’ ἐκείνου τῷ Κλεο-
πάτρῳ μικρόν, μικρὸν γὰρ δήπου τό γε ἐμόν, τὸ δὲ παρ’
ἐμοῦ μέγα, μέγα γὰρ δήπου τό γε σόν. φήσεις δὲ αὐτὸν εὖ
ποιῶν καὶ ῥήτορα καὶ χρηστὸν εὖ πεποιηκέναι.
◆
Μαξίμῳ. (358)
Οἶμαί σοι Λεόντιον τὸν σοφιστὴν ἤδη γεγονέναι φίλον,
ἐπειδὴ λόγους ὁ μὲν κέκτηται, σὺ δὲ φιλεῖς. τούτου συγγενὴς
οὑτοσὶ Κλεόπατρος Λαὶ μαθητής, ὃν ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐμοὶ συνέ-
στῆσεν, ἐγὼ δὲ σοί.
τὸ μὲν οὖν παρ’ ἐκείνου τῷ Κλεο-
πάτρῳ μικρόν, μικρὸν γὰρ δήπου τό γε ἐμόν, τὸ δὲ παρ’
ἐμοῦ μέγα, μέγα γὰρ δήπου τό γε σόν. φήσεις δὲ αὐτὸν εὖ
ποιῶν καὶ ῥήτορα καὶ χρηστὸν εὖ πεποιηκέναι.
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