Letter 355: You took from us something very great and gave something in return — not small, I would not say that, but not equal...

To Bassus. (358) In taking from us the greatest of things, you gave them; I would not say small things, yet not so great as what you took away. For having summoned your son, you sent us a letter. Now he, while present, was as much to me as you yourself when you were with me, whereas the letter is a pleasant thing, but second to him. May Calliopius, then, meet with good teachers and preserve the foundation laid here. But now I ask of you a favor, one which I would not have wished to be compelled to ask. Quirinus has a son, Honoratus; and Quirinus, after holding magistracies—three of them—departed poorer, but came to such a degree of rhetorical skill as he would have, had he chanced to study at the side of Hermes [god of eloquence]. He, who has been the father of many, is now the father of one, Honoratus—and may he be so, since the boy is fair and good and brings such honor to so noble a father. Upon this most excellent young man a sickness fell and advanced to a great length, for this is now the tenth month, and over a long time it overcame the great wisdom of the physicians, and the city was in sleeplessness and in fear; for Honoratus is a possession we hold in common. But now the worthy Marcellus has turned aside the evil, and Honoratus begins to use his feet. This was [...] better than hope. Why, then, have I recounted these things? Not wishing to grieve you, but since we hear that all those under you have been summoned there—and this man is one of them—wishing to teach you that we are not yet faring well. And yet, let us grant that the young man is healthier than Croton; would I not even then have had an argument, in my attempt to keep him here, to say: “most excellent of men, Bassus, since Honoratus holds to his studies and is the one consolation of his parents at an age that needs his father's eyes, do not move him from us now, and when it is better, he will come”? Would you not have assented, had I said these things? You, then, who would have granted the favor at that time, will you not now take the necessity into account? I think you will. And this too I prophesy with confidence: that even in absence I shall obtain what those present enjoy, since the admirable Bassus makes much of doing good to Quirinus and to me—from whom he has as no mean gift the praises of his deeds.

Βάσσῳ. (358) Τὰ μέγιστα ἡμᾶς ἀφελόμενος ἔδωκας, σμικρὰ μὲν οὐκ ἂν φαίην, οὐ μὴν ἡλίκα γε ἀφείλου· τὸν γὰρ υίὸν μεταπεμ- ψάμενος ἔπεμψας ἡμῖν ἐπιστολήν. ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖνος μέν μοι παρὼν τοσοῦτον, ὅσον καὶ σὺ συνών, τὰ γράμματα δὲ ἡδὺ μέν, δεύτερον δὲ ἐκείνου. Καλλιόπιος μὲν οὖν ἀγαθῶν τύχοι διδασκάλων καὶ διασώσαιτό γε τὴν ἐντεῦθεν κρηπῖδα· νῦν δὲ σὲ χάριν αἰτοῦμαι, ἣν οὐκ ἄν ἠβουλόμην αἰτεῖν ἠναγκά- σθαι. Κυρίνῳ παῖς ἐοτιν Ὁνωράτος, ὁ δὲ Κυρῖνος ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν ἀρχῶν, τρεῖς δὲ αὗται, πενέστερος ἀπῆλθε, ῥητορι- κῆς δὲ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἧκεν, ἐφ’ ὅσον ἄν, εἰ παρὰ τὸν Ἑρμῆν ἐτύγχανε φοιτήσας. οὗτος πολλῶν γεγονὼς πατὴρ νῦν ἑνός ἐστιν Ὁνωράτου καὶ εἴη γε καλοῦ τε ὄντος καὶ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κοσμοῦντος οὕτω γενναῖον πατέρα. τούτῳ δὴ τῷ βελτίστῳ νέῳ νόσημα ἐμπεσὸν καὶ προβὰν εὶς μῆκος, μὴν γὰρ οὑτοσὶ δέκατος, πολλὴν μὲν ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφίαν ἰατρῶν ἐνίκησε, καὶ ἦν ἡ πόλις ἐν ἀγρυπνίᾳ τε καὶ φόβῳ· κτῆμα γὰρ ἡμῖν Ὁνωράτος κοινόν. νῦν δὲ ἔκλινε Μάρκελλος ὁ χρηστὸς τὸ κακόν, καὶ χρῆσθαι τοῖν ποδοῖν Ὁνωράτος ἄρχεται. τοῦτο δὲ ἦν κρεῖττον ἐλπίδος. τί δὴ ταῦτα διῆλθον; οὐκ ἀνιᾶν σε βουλόμενος, ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ σοὶ πάντας ἀκούομεν ἐκεῖσε κεκλῆσθαι, ὧν εἰς οὗτος, διδάσκειν σε ἐθέλων ὡς οὔπω εὖ πράττομεν. καίτοι θῶμεν τὸν νέον ὑγιέστερον εἶναι Κρό- τωνος· οὐκ ἂν ἦν μοι καὶ τότε λόγος πειρωμένῳ κατέχειν, ὅτι, ἀνδρῶν ἄριδτε, Βάσσε, λόγων τὸν Ὁνωράτον ἐχό- μενον καὶ μίαν ὄντα γονεῦσι παεαμυθίαν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ δεομένῃ τῶν πατρὸς ὀφθαλμῶν ἡμῖν νῦν μὴ κίνει, καί, ὅτε βέλτιον, ἥξει; ταῦτα οὐκ ἄν ἐπένευες εἰπόντος; ὃς οἶν τότε ἂν ἔδωκας τὴν χάριν, νῦν οὐ λογιῇ τὴν ἀνάγκην; οἶμαί γε. κἀκεῖνο δὴ μαντεύομαι θαρ- ρῶν, ὡς καὶ ἀπὼν τεύξομαι ὧν οἱ παρόντες ἀπολαύουσι Βάσ- σου τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ μέγα ποιουμένου Κυρῖνον εὖ ποιεῖν καὶ ἐμέ, παρ’ ὧν αὐτῷ δῶρον οὐ φαῦλον τῶν ἔργων ἔπαινοι.