Letter 847: Libanius asks Proclus to reward Diognetus for his constant public praise.

If those who are praised should be thought to owe thanks to those who praise them, know that you owe thanks to this Diognetus. There has never been a time when he did not praise you: in the theater, in the manner of noble sophists and of men stirred by the Muses; in Athena's temple, among those seated there with him, many of whom the courts miss badly; in the council house, which is another field for speeches of this kind; when he comes to me and sits beside me; and when he visits any of the better-known men. He enters with such speeches, counting off your offices and all the good each one brought to the cities. Once he took Homer's verse about Menestheus the Athenian and sang it as praise of your skill, the skill by which you save great merchant ships. You must therefore strip for action and pay what is owed: do what justice requires for Diognetus. If you repay deeds for words, you may rightly take pride before the gods in surpassing, by your benefactions, the praises with which he has served you.

1. Εἰ τοῖς ἐπαινοῦσι δεῖ νομίζειν ὀφείλειν τοὺς ἐπαινουμένους χάριτας, ἴσθι χάριτας ὀφείλων Διογνήτῳ τουτῳί· ὡς οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὅτε σε οὐκ ἐπῄνεσεν· ἐν θεάτρῳ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τοὺς γενναίους σοφιστὰς καὶ οὓς αἱ Μοῦσαι κινοῦσιν, ἐν δὲ τῷ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερῷ καὶ τοῖς αὐτόθι συγκαθημένοις, ὧν τοὺς πολλοὺς αἱ δίκαι ποθοῦσιν. 2. ἔστι δὲ αὐτῷ τῶν τοιούτων λόγων χωρίον καὶ τὸ βουλευτήριον εἰσιόντι τε ὡς ἐμὲ καὶ παρακαθημένῳ, καὶ πρὸς οὓς δὲ τῶν γνωριμωτέρων ἔρχεται, μετὰ τοιούτων λόγων εἰσέρχεται τάς τε ἀρχὰς ἀπαριθμῶν καὶ ὅσα καθ’ ἑκάστην ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο ταῖς πόλεσι. 3. καί ποτε τὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου λαβὼν τὸ εἰς τὸν Μενεσθέα τὸν Ἀθηναῖον εἰρημένον περὶ τῆς σῆς ᾖσε τέχνης, ᾗ σὺ χρώμενος μεγάλας ὁλκάδας διασῴζεις. 4. ἀποδυτέον δή σοι τὰ ὀφειλόμενα καὶ τὰ δίκαια πρὸς Διόγνητον ποιητέον. εἰ δὲ ἔργα ἀντὶ λόγων ἀποδώσεις, εἰκότως ἂν ἀγάλλοιο παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔχων τὸ ἐν οἷς ἀντευποιεῖς οὕτω νικᾶν.