Letter 453: I recently heard someone say that Eusebius was fortunate because he was close to the emperor.
Ἀλκίμῳ. (355/56)
Ἤδη τινὸς ἤκουσα λέγοντος ὡς εὐδαίμων Εὐσέβιος βα-
σιλεῖ γε ὢν οἰκεῖος. ἐγὼ δὲ φαῦλον μὲν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἡγοῦμαι,
διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν ᾗ συζῇ τὸν ἄνδρα εὐδαίμονα καλῶ. πῶς
γὰρ οὐκ ἀρετὴ τὸ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ γενέσθαι κακὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐθέ-
λειν εἶναι;
τὸν μὲν οὖν Ἑλλήσποντον οἷον εὑρὼν οἶον
ἔδειξεν, ἠκούετε τὰ δ’ ὑμέτερα ταχέως τις ἄλλος ᾄσεται. ἐμὲ·
δὲ διὰ πάντων τετιμηκὼς μεγίστῳ τούτῳ κεκόσμηκε δοὺς ἐπι-
στεῖλαι δι’ αὐτοῦ τοῖς γνωρίμοις.
λαβὼν δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν
φίλει μὲν ὥσπερ ἐμὲ τὸν ἄνδρα, θαύμαζε δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἄλλον.
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We're only human, and no better than our neighbors.