Letter 250: So your good fortune does not stop with your sons, who are fine young men in love with learning.

To Caesarius. (358/59?) It is not, then, only in the case of your children that you are fortunate, since they are excellent and lovers of education; rather, your son-in-law too makes you to be called such, being himself both of these things. And you seem to me, in your deliberation about the marriage, to have admired not measures of land and weight of gold so much as the fact that you found a man who has a soul that is golden in very truth. For my own part, I took the beginning of my affection from the letters that came from you, but as I proceeded also to the test of experience, I now love this man no longer for your sake, but rather you more than before on his account. For what among his qualities is not admirable? Is he not gentle? Is he not keen of mind? Is he not formidable in speaking? Is he not good at judging? Does he not surpass the Corybantes in his frenzy concerning eloquence? Do you wish me to tell you one of the secret matters? Often he came to me when I was disposed sluggishly, and once he appeared he became in place of a goad. For, springing up at the first thing that was said, he led my tongue forward to its peak, so that I rejoiced together with myself. Of his goodness, at any rate, the road to our house is sufficient proof; for what has not been done for others by their own brothers, has been done by this man for his wife's brothers.

Καισαρίῳ. (358/59?) Οὐκ ἄρα μέχρι τῶν παίδων εὐδαίμων τις εἶ χρηστῶν τε ὄντων καὶ παιδείας ἐρώντων, ἀλλά σε καὶ ὁ κηδεστὴς οὕτω καλεῖσθαι ποιεῖ ταῦτα ἀμφότερα ὤν. καί μοι δοκεῖς ἐν τῇ περὶ τοῦ γάμου βουλῆ οὐ μέτρα γῆς καὶ χρυσοῦ σταθμὸν θαυ- μάσαι μᾶλλον ἢ ὅτι γε τὴν ψυχὴν εὕρηκας χρυσῆν ἔχοντα ὡς ἀληθῶς. ἔγωγέ τοι τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν τοῦ φιλεῖν ἔλαβον ἀπὸ τῶν παρὰ σοῦ γραμμάτων, χωρῶν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν πεῖραν οὐκέτι σὴν χάριν τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ σὲ μᾶλλον νῦν ἢ πρότερον διὰ τοῦτον ἀγαπῶ. τί γὰρ οὐ τῶν τοῦδε καλόν; οὐ πρᾷος; οὐκ ὀξὺς τὸν νοῦν; οὐκ εἰπεῖν δεινός; οὐ κρίνειν ἀγαθός; οὐ τοὺς Κορύβαντας παριὼν ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς λόγους μανίᾳ; βούλει μέ τι τῶν ἀπορρήτων εἰπεῖν; πολλάκις μὲν εἰσῆλθεν ὡς ἐμὲ διακείμενον ἀργῶς, ἐγένετο δὲ ἀντὶ κέντρου φανείς. πρὸς γὰρ τὸ πρῶτον ῥηθὲν ἀναπηδῶν προῆγέ μοι τὴν γλῶτταν εἰς ἀκ- μήν, ὥστε ἐμαυτῷ συνηδόμην. τῆς γε μὴν χρηστότητος ἀρ- κοῦν τεκμήριον ἡ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ὁδός· ὃ γὰρ ἄλλοις ὑπ’ ἀδελφῶν οὐ γεγένηται, παρὰ τοῦδε γέγονεν εἰς ἀδελφοὺς γυναικός.