Letter 843: Libanius asks Magnus to help recruit Egyptian athletes for the Olympic festival at Daphne.

You can help us honor Olympian Zeus even while you are away, the Zeus whom we honor at our Olympic games in Daphne. The men who will speak with the athletes in your region have arrived, as custom requires, and will persuade them; but they need someone who can help them in every matter where officials are needed, and in the rest as well. You would not need many words with anyone, since Egypt is sensible, does what seems good to you, and those who govern Egypt count it a gain if they can oblige you in anything. So I do no wrong in passing over the others and sending these men where they ought to go. When the athletes from your region come, compete, and are admired, Zeus will praise those who spend money on his festival and repay their expense in turn. He will also find something of yours in what is done; and while he gives some good thing to Letoios, who showed that his son could be an athletic official, he will give one too to wise Magnus, who advised the men distinguished in the wrestling schools to sail here. I too have a young man who is good at running and speaking, and worthy at once of a crown and a philosopher's cloak.

1. Ἔξεστί σοι καὶ ἀπόντι θεραπεῦσαι μεθ’ ἡμῶν τὸν Ὀλύμπιον Δία τὸν Ὀλυμπίοις παρ’ ἡμῶν ἐν Δάφνῃ τιμώμενον. ἥκουσι μὲν γὰρ οἱ διαλεξόμενοι τοῖς παρ’ ὑμῖν ἀθληταῖς καὶ πείσοντες, ὡς νόμος· δέονται δὲ τοῦ πρὸς ἅπαντα βοηθήσοντος αὐτοῖς ὅσα τε ἀρχόντων δεῖται καὶ ὅσα τῶν ἄλλων. 2. σοὶ δ’ οὐ πολλῶν ἂν δέοι πρὸς οὐδένα ῥημάτων σωφρονούσης τε τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ποιούσης ἃ σοι δόξειεν δρώσης κἀκείνους ὑφ’ οἷς Αἴγυπτος ἐν κέρδει ποιουμένους, εἰ σοί τι χαρίσαιντο. οὐδὲν οὖν ἀδικῶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ὑπερβάς, πέμψας δὲ αὐτοὺς οἷ χρῆν. 3. ἀγωνιζομένων οὖν τῶν παρ’ ὑμῶν ἡκόντων καὶ θαυμαζομένων ἐπαινέσεται μὲν ὁ Ζεὺς τοὺς δαπανωμένους ἀντιδαπανώμενος, εὑρήσει δέ τι καὶ σὸν ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις καὶ διδοὺς ἀγαθόν τι Λητοΐῳ τῷ δείξαντι τὸν υἱὸν ἀθλοθέτην δώσει καὶ τῷ σοφῷ Μάγνῳ τῷ τοῖς ἐν ταῖς παλαίστραις εὐδοκιμοῦσι παραινέσαντι δεῦρο πλεῖν. 4. ἔχω δὲ κἀγὼ νέον τρέχειν τε καὶ λέγειν ἀγαθὸν καὶ στεφάνου τε ὁμοῦ καὶ τρίβωνος ἄξιον.