Letter 801: I am older than you, but I do not think myself better in nature.
Εὐαγόρᾳ. (363)
Ἐγὼ σοῦ πρεσβύτερος μέν εἰμι, τὴν φύσιν δὲ οὐκ οἶμαι
εἶναι βελτίων διὰ δὲ πόνων ἐγὼ μὲν ἦλθον, σὺ δὲ ἔρχῃ. τοῦ
δὴ εἰκότος νικῶντος ποιήσεις οἷα ποιῶ. σοφὸς οὖν ὢν ἤδη
σαυτὸν ἐπαινεῖς ἐν οἷς ἐμέ.
ἀλλ’, εὖ ἴσθι, καὶ ὧν ποιῶ
καὶ ὧν ποιήσω μείζω τὸν ἔπαινον ᾄδεις κείσθω μὲν γάρ,
εἰ δοκεῖ, τἀμὰ μετὰ τῶν Δημοσθένους, νεμεσήσει γὰρ οὐδεὶς
εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ ῥάκια καὶ τὴν καλλίστην ἐσθῆτα πολλάκις ‘ὲν
δέχεται κιβώτιον· τίμα δὲ μήθ’ ὁμοίως ἐκείνοις μήτ’ εὐθὺς
μετ’ ἐΜ μὴ τὸ τοῦ Δημοσθένους αὐτό τις λαβών — ἀλλ᾿
ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὐ ἐρῶ —, δέδοικα μέντοι μὴ τῷ ἄγαν ἐμὲ θαυ-
μάζειν τὰ σὰ χεῖρον διάθῃ
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Ambrose, Bishop, to the Emperor Valentinian.