Letter 331: You who come from Greece hold rhetoric in honor, and Hieronymus possesses it in the highest degree.

To you who come from Greece, rhetoric is held in honor, and of this art Hieronymus has the largest share. There is therefore every necessity that this man too should become honored by you, the man who also attached Strategius to us by his speaking. For he had a speech written out concerning the matters on which he was being tried, but when there was no longer any need of a contest, having nonetheless been asked to speak and having obtained the chance to speak, he departed amid praise, so that I rejoiced. For we have one teacher, both I and this man. And whatever fair distinction may belong to him, that at once is mine. When he is speaking, then, I know that you will admire him, and admiring him I know that you will also love him for that very admiration, and because he is no more an orator than he is a good man. And if this too shall have any power, namely my caring for the orator, I shall both feel gratitude and perhaps repay it.

Εὐπατερίῳ. (357/58) Τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὑμῖν ἡ ῥητορικὴ τίμιον, ταύτης δὲ πλεῖστον Ἱερώνυμος μετέχει. πᾶσα τοίνυν ἀνάγκη καὶ τοῦ- τὸν γενέσθαι σοι τίμιον, ὃς καὶ τὸν Στρατήγιον ἡμῖν ἀνηρ- τήσατο λέγων. ἦν μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ λόγος ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐδικάζετο γεγραμμένος, ὡς δὲ οὐκέτ’ ἐδέησεν ἀγῶνος, εἰπεῖν ὅμως δεη- θεὶς καὶ τυχὼν εἰπὼν ἐπαινούμενος ἀπῆλθεν, ὥστ’ ἐμὲ χαί- ρειν. εἶς γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ διδάσκαλος, ἐμοί τε καὶ τούτῳ. καὶ ὅ τι ἂν τούτῳ καλὸν ὑπάρξῃ, τοῦτ’ εὐθὺς ἐμόν. λέγοντα μὲν οὖν οἶδ’ ὅτι θαυμάσῃ, θαυμάζων δὲ οἶδ᾿ ὅτι καὶ φιλήσεις κατ’ αὐτό γε τὸ θαῦμα καὶ ὅτι γε οὐ ῥήτωρ πλέον ἢ χρηστός. εἰ δέ τι καὶ τοῦτο δυνήσεται τὸ μέλειν ἐμοὶ τοῦ ῥήτορος, εἴ- σομαί τε χάριν καὶ ἴσως ἀποδώσω.