Letter 827: My dearest Julianus ought to be returning home for other reasons — to see his mother and to bring her the sweetest...

To Entrechius. (363) Under other circumstances Julianus, dearest to me, ought to be returning home both to see his mother and to make her old age most pleasant by his excellence as a son. But as it is, he comes to pour out tears upon the tomb and to mourn his mother twofold, both because she has departed and because she departed in such a way. And a third evil is that he has been compelled to contend over such matters before the very people before whom he least wished to do so, in a case where there is every necessity that some old tragedy too be brought to light. Against all these things, then, there is one consolation: your judgment and your office and your friendship. On account of all these I urged him to take courage, on the ground that not only his mother but his father as well is still alive. For as to the murder, you will give judgment as the inquiry leads you; but once these matters have reached their conclusion, make Julianus great for me, that he may be of some use to the city and to the province, and imitate Athena's foresight toward Odysseus. And in any case you will not be ashamed of [...] young man, bringing forward one who has understanding and is prudent and clever at speaking and [...] such as anyone might wish a son of his own to become. I say these things not because I suppose that you stand in need of exhortation, you who hold his house together even in his absence; but I could not, when I call Julianus to mind, either say little or quickly fall silent, since I am conscious of great and many things on his behalf; and for that reason I would not hesitate to address him as leader of the chorus among us. Do not, then, be amazed if I write at length. And if frequent letters come to you, grant me pardon for this too. For concerning the help that comes from you I could prophesy. But excessive affection does not permit me not to be anxious. If, then, it is a care to you that I pass my time as pleasantly as possible, send word straightaway upon the first matters, and again upon the second. And let there be attached to each of the things being done a letter reporting the help given, so that he there may be counted blessed, and that I too may share in the good cheer.

Ἐντρεχίῳ. (363) Ἐπ’ ἄλλοις ἐχρῆν ἐπανιέναι τὸν φίλτατόν μοι Ἰουλιανὸν ὀψόμενόν τε τὴν μητέρα καὶ ποιήσοντα αὐτῇ γῆρας ἥδιστον τῇ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀρετῇ. νῦν δὲ ἔρχεται δάκρυά τε ἐπαφήσων τῷ τάφῳ καὶ διπλῇ τὴν τεκοῦσαν πενθήσων, ὅτι τε ἀπῆλθε καὶ ὅτι οὕτως. καὶ τρίτον κακὸν τὸ ἠναγκάσθαι αὐτὸν πρὸς οὓς ἥκιστα ἐβούλετο περὶ τοιούτων ἀγωνίζεσθαι, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη καὶ παλαιάν τινα τραγῳδίαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. πρὸς δὴ ταῦτα πάντα παραμυθία μία, ἡ σὴ γνώμη τε καὶ ἀρχὴ καὶ φιλία. δι’ ἃ πάντα θαρρεῖν αὐτῷ παρεκελευσάμην ὡς οὐ μόνον τῆς μητρός, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς περιόντος τὰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τὸν φόνον κρινεῖς, ᾗ ἄν ὁ ἔλεγχος ἄγῃ· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ταῦτα πέρας ἔχῃ, ποίει μοι μέγαν τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν ἱν τι τῇ πόλει καὶ τῷ ἔθνει καὶ μιμοῦ τὴν τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς εὶς τὸν Ὀδυσ- σέα πρόνοιαν. πάντως δὲ οὐκ αἰσχυνῇ νεανίσκοι ὗς ἄμ· εἰσάγων νοῦν τε ἔχοντα καὶ σώφρονα καὶ δεινὸν εὶπεῖν κοὶ οἷον Μευ· ἄν τις αὑτῷ γενέσθαι παῖδα. λέγω δὲ ταῦτα οὐχ ἡγούμενος σὲ δεῖσθαι παρακλήσεως, ὅς γε καὶ ἀπόντος αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον συνέχεις ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην Ἰουλιανοῦ μεμνημένος ἢ μικρὰ εἰπεῖν ἢ ταχέως σιγῆσαι μεγάλα αὐτῷ καὶ πολλὰ συνειδώς· δι’ ὃ καὶ κορυφαῖον οὐκ ἂν ὀκνήσαιμι τοῦ παρ’ ἡμῖν προσειπεῖν χοροῦ. μὴ τοίνυν εἰ μηκύνοιμι, θαύμαζε. κἂν πυκνά σοι γράμματα ἔρχηται, καὶ τούτου συγ- γνώμην δίδου. περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ βοηθείας μαντευσαίμην. τὸ δὲ ἄγαν φιλεῖν οὐκ ἐᾷ με μὴ φροντίζειν. εἰ οὖν σοι μέλει τοῦ ὡς ἥδιστά με διάγειν, ἐπὶ τοῖς πρώ- τοις εὐθὺς ἐπίστελλε, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τοῖς δευτέροις. καὶ προσ- έστω τῶν πραττομένων ἑκάστῳ γράμμα μηνῦον τὰς βοηθείας, ὥστε τὸν μὲν ἐκεῖ μακαρίζεσθαι, κοινωνεῖν δὲ καὶ ἐμὲ τῆς εὐ- θυμίας.