Letter 819: This Elpidius is the son of the famous Xiphidius, and no less skilled than his father in his craft.

To Modestus. (363 AD) This Elpidius is the son of the famous Xiphidius, and no less skilled than his father in his craft. He is the gentlest of all men, and having practiced modesty from youth he has preserved it into old age, winning many friends thereby — of whom I am one. That you would be glad to see him arrive as a helper to the city was only natural, since you would even honor the man publicly with a statue if Poseidon granted him the power to make your city flow with water. But he hoped to gain something more from the fact that my friendship with you is not unknown. And perhaps reasonably so — for it has been proclaimed that whoever is dear to me is honored by you. Come then, confirm his hopes and hold the man in high regard, honoring him partly for the work he has come to do, and partly as a companion of mine.

Μοδέστῳ. (363) Ἐλπίδιος οὑτοσὶ παῖς μέν ἐστι Ξιφιδίου τοῦ πάνυ, τοῦ πατρὸς δὲ οὐ λειπόμενος κατὰ τὴν τέχνην πάντων ἀνθρώπων πρᾳότατος καὶ τὸ αἰδεῖσθαι μελετήσας ἐκ νὲου μέχρι γήρως αὐτὸ τετήρηκε πολλοὺς ἐντεῦθεν κτησάμενος φίλους, ὦί εἷς ἐγώ. τοῦτον ὅτι μὶν ἔμελλες ἡδέως ὄφεσθαι βοηθὸν ἥκοντα τῇ πόλει οἰκεῖον ἦν, ἐπεὶ καὶ δημοσίᾳ τιμήσαιτ’ ἂν εἰκόνι τὸν ἄνδρα, τοῦ Ποσειδῶ διδόντος ποιήσειεν ὑμᾶς καταρ- ρύτους. ἀλλ’ ἤλπισέ τι πλέον ἕξειν ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ τὴν οὖσάν μοι πρὸς σαυτὸν ἀγνοεῖσθαι φιλίαι. καὶ ἴσως εἰκότως. κεκή- ρυκται γάρ, ὅστις σὺ πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ ὡς ὅστις ἐπιτήδειος ἐμοί, παρὰ σοὶ τίμιος. ἄγε οὖν, βεβαίου τὰς ἐλπίδας καὶ περὶ πολλοῦ τὸν ἄνδρα ποιοῦ τὰ μὲν ὑπὲρ ὧι ἥκει τιμῶν, τὰ δὲ ὡς ἔταφον ἡμέτερον.