Letter 713: This man Menecrates came from home to study with me full-time, but a host of illnesses made his time with me brief.
To Ammonius. (362)
This Menecrates came from his home in order to take part continually in my lessons, but a multitude of illnesses made his attendance with me brief. This did not, however, blunt the goodwill we bear toward him; rather, in whatever way it may be possible to help him outside the sphere of oratory, I hold myself ready. And the greatest of the things I might give is what I am doing now; for this very letter is the beginning of many good things, since it procures for him your support.
Seeing then that he desired the art of rhetoric but was hindered from gaining as much of it as is worthwhile, sustain him with the aid that comes from yourself.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Ἀμμωνίῳ. (362)
Μενεκράτης οὗτος ἦλθε μὲν οἴκοθεν ὡς μετασχήσων
μου συνεχῶς, νοσημάτων δὲ πλῆθος ὀλίγην ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ
τὴν συνουσίαν. οὐ μὴν τήν γε παρ’ ἡμῶν εὔνοιαν εἰς αὐτὸν
τοῦτο ἤμβλυνεν, ἀλλ’ ὅ τι ἂν ἔξω τῶν λόγων ἐξῇ βοηθεῖ
ἕτοιμον ἐμαυτὸν παρέχω. μέγιστον δὲ ὧν δοίην ἂν ὃ νυνὶ
ποιῶ· ταυτὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ γράμματα πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρχὴ
τὴν σὴν προξενοῦντα ῥοπήν.
ὡς οὖν ἐπιθυμήσαντα μὲν
ῥητορικῆς, κωλυθέντα δὲ ὅσον ἄξιον λαβεῖν ἄνεχε ταῖς παρὰ
σαυτοῦ βοηθείαις.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from modern libanius retranslated v1.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/First1KGreek/blob/master/volume_xml/libanius_10.xml
Related Letters
I have been sick with worry ever since I learned that my daughter is suffering from her familiar complaint.
I delight in the regular frequency of your letters and draw abundant joy from this gift.
The question is now in your hands: whether I should continue to maintain my regular habit of writing to you, or...
I am distressed to find that you are by no means indignant at the sins forbidden, and that you seem incapable of understanding, how this raptus, which has been committed, is an act of unlawfulness and tyranny against society and human nature, and an outrage on free men. I am sure that if you had all been of one mind in this matter, there would h...
I certainly wish you such abundant wealth that you can buy the finest estates — but I would prefer that you do so...