Letter 31: May your body, as you reported, continue in good health, and may God send relief for your grief.
Libanius→Julian|c. 317 AD|Libanius|AI-assisted
grief death
But may your body, as you indicated, hold out to the end, and may a remedy for your grief come from God; or rather, one part of the grief requires God, while the other part you yourselves are competent to put to rest for yourselves. For to set the city upright again is ready at hand, if you should be willing; but for the despondency over the dead, may consolation come from somewhere out of heaven.
For my part, I count blessed the city of Nicomedes even as it lies fallen. For it ought to be standing, yet even fallen it has been honored by your tears. And this is no less than the dirges which, as the tale goes, the Muses raised over Achilles, nor than the bloody droplet which Zeus let fall upon Sarpedon, who was about to die, in honoring his dearest son.
So it shall be your concern that the city which was of old should become a city once again; and Elpidius was good even before, but now the advancement of his character is worthy to be admired. And so it is not only that saying of Sophocles, "tyrants are wise through the company of the wise," but also the wisdom of a king might lead those who are in his company toward virtue. Such service you too have rendered to this man here, having shown him not so much more prosperous as better. For even though you are younger than Elpidius, you have become, in these noble things, the teacher of Elpidius the elder: in fairness, in eagerness to do good to one's friends, in taking joy in doing so, in meeting strangers gently, in holding fast the one who meets him. For as many as approached and addressed him, just so many admired the man, and then straightway loved him, and observed your judgment all the more in those whom you had entrusted to him.
Between me and this man the conversations with one another are frequent, and all are about you, and about the judgment that you hold, and about the affairs in the midst of which you are, what sort of man you are toward them. And he was so near to the things you do, in his narration of them, that I all but conversed with you as though you were present.
The finest of the things I heard was that you are driving back the barbarians and bringing your victories into written record, and that you are truly one and the same man, both an orator and a general. For Achilles needed Homer, and Alexander many Titans, but your trophies will attain remembrance through the voice of the one who set them up; so far have you surpassed the sophists, setting before them not only the deeds themselves as a labor, but also the contest with the speeches that you have composed upon the deeds.
Add, then, to your trophies this also, that Pompeianus has obtained justice, and consider this too no mean engagement of battle. This man is that very one whom you once saw with pleasure in Bithynia when he was serving as an envoy from here, and, having learned of what he had been deprived, you restored him to hopes, namely that he would recover what was his own. I ask you to remember these promises, O king.
**To Julian** (358/59)
May your body continue as you reported it to be, and may a remedy for your grief come from God — or rather, part of your grief requires divine help, but part you have the power to end yourselves. For the restoration of the city is within your reach, if you are willing; but for the despondency over the dead, may consolation come from heaven somehow.
For my part, I count even Nicomedia blessed, though she lies in ruins. She ought to be standing, it is true, yet even fallen she has been honored by your tears. And this is no less than the dirges which, as the story goes, the Muses raised over Achilles, nor less than the bloody rain that Zeus let fall for Sarpedon when he was about to die, honoring his dearest son.
The task of making the old city a city once more will be your concern. As for Elpidius — he was a good man before, but his present growth in character is truly remarkable. It seems that not only does Sophocles' saying hold true — *"wise become the rulers through the company of the wise"* — but that a wise emperor's influence also guides those around him toward virtue.
Just so have you benefited this man, making him not merely more distinguished but better. For although you are younger than Elpidius, you have become, in these fine qualities at least, the teacher of your elder: in fairness, in eagerness to do well by friends, in taking joy in doing so, in dealing gently with strangers, and in winning over everyone you meet. For all who approached and greeted him came to admire the man, and then at once grew fond of him — and saw your judgment all the more clearly reflected in those you have entrusted with responsibility.
He and I have had frequent conversations, and all of them about you — about your disposition, about the circumstances you find yourself in, and the kind of man you show yourself to be in the face of them. So vivid was his account of your doings that I almost felt I was speaking with you in person.
The finest thing I heard was that you are driving back the barbarians and committing your victories to written record — that you are truly both orator and general in one. Achilles needed his Homer, and Alexander his many chroniclers, but your trophies will win their remembrance through the voice of the very man who raised them. So far have you surpassed the sophists — not only by setting before them the labor of your deeds, but also by challenging them to rival the accounts you yourself have composed of those deeds.
Now add to your trophies this as well: see that Pompeianus receives his rights, and consider this too no trivial battle. This is the man whom you once gladly received in Bithynia when he came on an embassy from here, and whom, learning what he had been deprived of, you encouraged with the hope that he would recover what was his. Remember those promises for me, O Emperor.
But may your body, as you indicated, hold out to the end, and may a remedy for your grief come from God; or rather, one part of the grief requires God, while the other part you yourselves are competent to put to rest for yourselves. For to set the city upright again is ready at hand, if you should be willing; but for the despondency over the dead, may consolation come from somewhere out of heaven.
For my part, I count blessed the city of Nicomedes even as it lies fallen. For it ought to be standing, yet even fallen it has been honored by your tears. And this is no less than the dirges which, as the tale goes, the Muses raised over Achilles, nor than the bloody droplet which Zeus let fall upon Sarpedon, who was about to die, in honoring his dearest son.
So it shall be your concern that the city which was of old should become a city once again; and Elpidius was good even before, but now the advancement of his character is worthy to be admired. And so it is not only that saying of Sophocles, "tyrants are wise through the company of the wise," but also the wisdom of a king might lead those who are in his company toward virtue. Such service you too have rendered to this man here, having shown him not so much more prosperous as better. For even though you are younger than Elpidius, you have become, in these noble things, the teacher of Elpidius the elder: in fairness, in eagerness to do good to one's friends, in taking joy in doing so, in meeting strangers gently, in holding fast the one who meets him. For as many as approached and addressed him, just so many admired the man, and then straightway loved him, and observed your judgment all the more in those whom you had entrusted to him.
Between me and this man the conversations with one another are frequent, and all are about you, and about the judgment that you hold, and about the affairs in the midst of which you are, what sort of man you are toward them. And he was so near to the things you do, in his narration of them, that I all but conversed with you as though you were present.
The finest of the things I heard was that you are driving back the barbarians and bringing your victories into written record, and that you are truly one and the same man, both an orator and a general. For Achilles needed Homer, and Alexander many Titans, but your trophies will attain remembrance through the voice of the one who set them up; so far have you surpassed the sophists, setting before them not only the deeds themselves as a labor, but also the contest with the speeches that you have composed upon the deeds.
Add, then, to your trophies this also, that Pompeianus has obtained justice, and consider this too no mean engagement of battle. This man is that very one whom you once saw with pleasure in Bithynia when he was serving as an envoy from here, and, having learned of what he had been deprived, you restored him to hopes, namely that he would recover what was his own. I ask you to remember these promises, O king.
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.