Letter 237: May this pregnancy of yours produce heirs not only to your estate but also to your wisdom -- that wisdom you have...

To Themistius. (360?) Well then, may this womb bear you heirs, and heirs not only of your estate, but also of that wisdom which, displaying it as more varied than a meadow, you have long held mastery over; though whether you also surpass those who bear the same name as you I do not know, but we orators have been bested. Up to now, then, I rejoiced together with Phrygia, which received both you and your marriage; but now I rejoice with the Great City, which has both recovered you and gained your bride besides; and I count blessed too the man who, with you not absent, shall behold the Great City, because he shall truly see it great. The labor of public affairs, then, we have laid upon Clearchus; but by you let Eustochius be honored by being judged to be just what he is. He is a man both good and noble, and in those matters where a friend seeks something made plain, we all come to him. Honor him also with the greater thing; and I call the greater thing to hear words of yours. If you display new ones, he will take his share of a new feast; but if you are not at present engaged in this, entertain him with the old ones, though you will surely entertain him more with new ones; for whatever you may utter, this will be no worse than the things you have written.

Θεμιστίῳ. (360?) Ἀλλ’ εἴη ταύτην γέ σοι τὴν γαστέρα κληρονόμους τεκεῖν καὶ μὴ μόνον τῆς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς σοφίας, ἣν δὴ λειμῶ- νος ποικιλωτέραν δεικνύων πάλαι κρατεῖς, εἰ μὲν καὶ τοὺς ταὐτὸ σοι καλουμένους οὐκ οἶδα, οἱ ῥήτορες δὲ ἡττήμεθα. τέως μὲν οὖν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ συνέχαιρον, ἣ καὶ σὲ καὶ τοὺς γάμους ἐδέ- ξατο, νῦν δὲ τῇ Μεγάλη πόλει σέ τε ἀπολαβούσῃ καὶ προσ- λαβούσῃ τὴν νύμφην, μακαρίζω δὲ καὶ τὸν οὐκ ἀπόντος σου τὴν Μεγάλην ὀψόμενον πόλιν, ὅτι αὐτὴν ὄντως ὄψεται μεγά- λῆν. τὸν μὲν οὖν τῶν πραγμάτων πόνον ἀνεθήκαμεν Κλε- άρχῳ, παρὰ σοῦ δὲ Εὐστόχιος τιμηθήτω τῷ νομισθῆναι τοῦτο ὅπερ ἐστίν. ἔστι δὲ καλὸς κἀγαθός, κἀν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἃ φίλον σαφῆ ζητεῖ πάντες ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐρχόμεθα. τίμα δὲ αὐ- τὸν καὶ τῷ μείζονι, καλῶ δὲ μεῖζον τὸ σῶν ἀκοῦσαι λόγων· οὓς εἰ μὲν καινοὺς δεικνύεις, καινῆς θοίνης μεταλήψεται τὸ μέρος· εἰ δ’ οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ νῦν εἰης, τοῖς παλαιοῖς αὐτὸν ἑστία, μᾶλλον πάντως αὐτὸν ἑστιάσεις καινοῖς· ὅ τι γὰρ ἂν φθέγξῃ, τοῦτο τῶν γεγραμμένων οὐ χεῖρον.