To Macedonius. (358/590)
It was for no small thing that you undertook the journey, but on behalf of a man for whose sake, that you might see him, it would have been a fine thing for you to go to the very Ocean. That you would everywhere remember us, and with praises too, I was not unaware; for to others it is most pleasant to receive words of commendation, but for you, to bestow them upon me.
As for the men with whom you say you have conversed, until you persuade them to hate flatterers, you will never persuade us to love them; for I am quite unskilled in that business, while others excel at it.
Pancratius I have not yet seen, but I hold him to be a good man, and I think it proper to write to him first; for to him there is nothing shameful in it, but for me perhaps there would be, if I should seem, through a letter, on the pretext of greeting him, to be soliciting pupils.
**To Macedonius** (358/590)
You have not made your journey for any small reason, but for the sake of a man to see whom it would have been well worth your while to travel to the very Ocean itself. That you would remember me everywhere and with praise, I was well aware — for while other men take the greatest pleasure in receiving commendations, your pleasure lies in bestowing them upon me.
As for the men you say you have been conversing with, until you persuade them to despise flatterers, you will never persuade me to love them. For I am utterly unskilled in that business, while others excel at it.
As for Pancratius, I have not yet seen him, but I consider him a good man and think it right to write to him first — for there would be nothing shameful in that for him, but perhaps there would be for me, if I should seem, under the pretext of a letter of greeting, to be soliciting students.
It was for no small thing that you undertook the journey, but on behalf of a man for whose sake, that you might see him, it would have been a fine thing for you to go to the very Ocean. That you would everywhere remember us, and with praises too, I was not unaware; for to others it is most pleasant to receive words of commendation, but for you, to bestow them upon me.
As for the men with whom you say you have conversed, until you persuade them to hate flatterers, you will never persuade us to love them; for I am quite unskilled in that business, while others excel at it.
Pancratius I have not yet seen, but I hold him to be a good man, and I think it proper to write to him first; for to him there is nothing shameful in it, but for me perhaps there would be, if I should seem, through a letter, on the pretext of greeting him, to be soliciting pupils.
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.