Letter 418: After suffering many physical ailments -- having barely recovered from some and still bearing others -- I have one...

After suffering many physical ailments -- having barely recovered from some and still bearing others -- I have one consolation: my hopes for you. Do not imagine that people talk of anything else. The word everywhere is that very soon you will hold the position that has long been rightfully yours, and that the state will have its salvation. They base this on two things: your virtue, and the emperor's ability to see who can actually save the cities. But please, do not flee from office again when it approaches. That kind of evasion is not becoming. If you were destined to be a runaway, you have already played that role -- when you ran away from Rome.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (355) Πόλλα κακὰ περὶ τὸ σῶμα παθὼν καὶ τῶν μὲν μόλις ἀπαλλαγείς, τὰ δὲ ἔτι φέρων ἕν ἔχω παραμύθιον τὰς ἐλπίδας τὰς περὶ σέ. μὴ γὰρ οἴου τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἄλλο τι ᾄδειν ἡ ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα ἔσται σοὶ μὲν σχῆμα πάλαι προσῆκον, τοῖς δὲ πράγμασι σωτηρία. ταύτην δὲ τεκμαίρονται δυοῖν, ἀρετῇ τε σῇ καὶ τῷ τὸν βασιλέα δι’ ὧν ἔστι σώζειν τὰς πόλεις ὁρᾶν. ἀλλ’ ὅπως μὴ πάλιν φύγῃς προσιοῦσαν ἀρχήν· οὐ γὰρ κα- λόν τινα τοῦτον δρασμὸν μελετᾷς. εἰ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν γενέσθαι δραπέτην, ἤδη γέγονας ἀπὸ τῆς ώμης δραπετεύσας.