Letter 862: Libanius introduces Domnion to Argeius and urges Argeius to entertain the governor with speeches.

The noble Domnion comes to you knowing who you are, and I was his teacher in this: your family, upbringing, education, character, your gifts as a teacher, and your gifts in public life. Hearing all this, Domnion was delighted, since he expected not only to see such a man but also to do him good. That is what men in office should do. He comes to you, then, in this spirit, good by nature and at the same time honoring his kinsman Antiochus, the finest man under the sun. Antiochus would naturally want his child to marry the son of a good father, one who provides openings for distinction. Show yourself, then, by entertaining the governor with speeches and displays. For you, speeches can be produced with great speed whenever they are needed; for Domnion, hearing them will be sweeter than any honey, and nothing there will bring satiety. In doing this, you will be acting in harmony with the years when he went to his teachers, always receiving something and never thinking any amount sufficient. He will probably bring us some of your descendants too, whether by persuasion or compulsion.

1. Εἰδώς σε Δομνίων ὁ γενναῖος ἔρχεται, διδάσκαλος δὲ αὐτῷ τούτων ἐγὼ, γένους τε τοῦ σοῦ καὶ τροφῆς καὶ παιδείας καὶ τρόπου καὶ οἷος μὲν σὺ διδάσκειν, οἷος δὲ ἐν πολιτείᾳ. καὶ ταῦτα ἀκούων ὁ Δομνίων ἔχαιρεν ὡς ἄνδρα τοιοῦτον οὐκ ὀψόμενος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὖ ποιήσων, ταῦτα δὴ τὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων. 2. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὑμῖν μετὰ τοιαύτης ἔρχεται τῆς γνώμης φύσει τε ὢν χρηστὸς καὶ ἅμα τιμῶν τὸν κηδεστὴν Ἀντίοχον, ἄνδρα ἄριστον τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον. βούλοιτο γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ἀγαθοῦ πατρὸς παιδὶ συνοικεῖν διδόντος ἀφορμὰς δόξῃ. 3. δείκνυ δὴ σαυτὸν ἑστιῶν τὸν ἄρχοντα λόγοις τε καὶ ἐπιδείξεσι. σοί τε γὰρ πολὺ τὸ τάχος, εἰ δέοι ποιῆσαι λόγους, Δομνίωνί τε παντὸς μέλιτος ἡδίων ἀκρόασις καὶ τὸ ποιῆσον ἐνταῦθα κόρον οὐκ ἔστι. 4. καὶ τοιοῦτος ὢν συμβαίνοντα ποιεῖ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις ἐκείνοις, ἐν οἷς ἐβάδιζε παρὰ τοὺς διδασκάλους ἀεὶ μέν τι λαμβάνων, ἀρκεῖν δὲ οὐδὲν ἡγούμενος. οἴσει δέ που καὶ ἡμῖν, ὡς εἰκός, τῶν σῶν ἐγγόνων ἢ πείσας ἢ ἀναγκάσας.