Letter 531: The pleasure I would have felt if you were governing Syria, I feel now that you are governing cities I hold equal to...

To Calliopius. The pleasure I would have felt if you were governing Syria, I feel now that you are governing cities I hold equal to my homeland. Justice will come to your subjects even without anyone urging you, but there is no harm in letting my friends know that they can expect fair treatment from you. Beyond enjoying the common benefits of good government, there is some comfort in not being overlooked. Strategius's father was a man who strove to be good, and he was a friend of mine. He entrusted me with the most important thing a person can -- his sons. One of them is still here with me, studying rhetoric. The other took a short course and then entered public service, expecting to distinguish himself in his father's line of work. But fate snatched the father from the middle of his labors, and the son, left alone, now takes refuge in your care. It is obvious that you will both recognize those who need serious help and provide as much as they require.

Καλλιοπίῳ. (356/57) Ἣν ἂν ἥσθην ἡδονήν, εἰ Σύρων ἦρχες, ταύτην ἥδομαι νῦν, ἐπειδὴ πόλεων ἄρχεις, ἃς ἐν ἴσῳ ποιοῦμαι τῇ πατρίδι. τὰ μὲν οὖν δίκαια καὶ μηδενός σε παρακαλοῦντος ὑπάρξει τοῖς γε ὑπὸ σοί, κωλύει δὲ οὐδὲν μηνύσαι τοῖς ἡμῖν ἐπιτη- δείοις τὸ πᾶσιν εἶναι τῶν δικαίων τυγχάνειν. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ τῶν κοινῶν ἀπολαύειν ἀγαθῶν ἔχει τι μέρος εὐθυμίας τὸ μὴ ἠγνοῆσθαι. πατὴρ ἦν Στρατηγίῳ χρηστὸς εἶναι ἐθέλων καὶ φίλος ἡμῖν. οὗτος ἃ μέγιστα ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶν ἐνεχείρισέ μοι τοὺς υἱεῖς αὑτοῦ. τούτων ὁ μὲν ἔτι παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐπὶ λόγοις, ὁ δὲ μικρὰ μετασχὼν εἰς τὸ λειτουργεῖν εἰσῆλθεν ὡς ἐν ταῖς φροντίσι τοῦ πατρὸς ἐσόμενος λαμπρός ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἐκ μέσων τῶν πόνων ὁ δαίμων ἥρπασεν, ὁ δὲ ὢν ἔρημος εἰς τὴν σὴν καταφεύγει πρόνοιαν. οὐ γὰρ ἄδηλον ὡς οἷς τε δεῖ πολλῆς ἐπικουρίας εἴσῃ καὶ δώσεις ὁπόσης δεῖ.