Letter 397: You have permission to come to us.

To Gymnasius. (355) You have leave to come to us. And I shall not be boasting in saying this. But when Strategius [the praetorian prefect], who shows himself a truthful praiser of all things, heard that Gymnasius was in love with Syria, he straightway drew out an encomium, a sophist's labor, so abundant and fine was it; yet he did not allow us to apply ourselves, doing everything at once. But you seem to long for the things here with us, while being held back by those over there.

Γυμνασίῳ. (355) Ἐξουσία σοι παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἰέναι. καὶ οὐκ ἀλαζονεύσομαί γε, ὅτι ταῦτα λέγω. ἀλλ’ ὡς ἤκουσε Στρατήγιος ὁ πάντα ἐπαινέτην αὑτοῦ δεικνὺς ἀληθῆ, ὅτι Γυμνάσιος ἐρῴη Συρίας, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐγκώμιον κατέτεινε, σοφιστοῦ πόνον, οὕτως ἦν πολύ τε καὶ καλόν, ἡμῖν δὲ οὐ δέδωκε σπουδάσαι πάντα εὐθὺς ποιῶν. σὺ δ’ ἔοικας τῶν μὲν παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν κατέχεσθαι.