Letter 147: Chrysostom says Anthemius adorns his offices and will become a harbor for the wronged.

Others congratulate your admirableness on the consulship and prefecture. I congratulate the offices themselves because of your magnificence. They did not adorn you; they were adorned by you. Virtue is like that. It does not borrow honor from outside, but carries honor within itself and gives honor to dignities rather than receiving honor from them. For that reason our affection for you has not increased now. Nothing has been added to you. We do not love the prefect and consul, but my most gentle master Anthemius, filled with much wisdom and philosophy. We call you blessed not because you have climbed this throne, but because you have received a richer field in which to show your wisdom and humanity. We rejoice with all who are wronged, seeing the broad harbor of your soul, able to repair countless shipwrecks and bring those carried into the worst storm to sail with a fair wind. Your office is a common feast for those who are mistreated, and we enjoy it too, counting the greatness of your achievements as our own delight.

ΡΜΖʹ. Ἀνθεμίῳ. Ἄλλοι μέν σου τῇ θαυμασιότητι καὶ τῆς ὑπατείας καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχότητος συνήδονται· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐταῖς ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῆς σῆς ἕνεκεν μεγαλοπρεπείας. Οὐ γὰρ σὲ κατεκόσμησαν, ἀλλ' ἐκοσμήθησαν παρὰ σοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοιοῦτον ἡ ἀρετή· οὐκ ἔξωθεν δανείζεται τὰς τιμὰς, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ ἐν ἑαυτῇ περιφέρει ταύτας, τιμὴν τοῖς ἀξιώμασι τούτοις παρέχουσα, οὐκ αὐτὴ παρ' ἐκείνων λαμβάνουσα. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο οὐδὲ προσεθήκαμεν τῷ φίλτρῳ νῦν τῷ περὶ σέ. Οὐδὲν γάρ σοι προσγέγονε πλέον· οὐδὲ τὸν ὕπαρχον καὶ ὕπατον ἡμεῖς φιλοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν δεσπότην μου τὸν ἡμερώτατον Ἀνθέμιον, τὸν πολλῆς μὲν συνέσεως, πολλῆς δὲ γέμοντα φιλοσοφίας. ∆ιό σε καὶ μακαρίζομεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸν θρόνον ἀνέβης τοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ δαψιλεστέραν ἔλαβες ὕλην, εἰς τὸ τὴν σύνεσίν σου καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Καὶ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις πᾶσι συνηδόμεθα, τὸν πλατύν σου λιμένα τῆς ψυχῆς ὁρῶντες, μυρία δυνάμενον λῦσαι ναυάγια, καὶ τοὺς εἰς ἔσχατον κλυδωνίου κατενεχθέντας παρασκευάσαι ἐξουρίας πλεῖν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα σκιρτῶμεν, διὰ ταῦτα χαίρομεν, τὴν σὴν ἀρχὴν κοινὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων εἶναι νομίζοντες. Ἧς καὶ αὐτοὶ νῦν ἀπολαύομεν, οἰκείαν ἡδονὴν εἶναι τιθέμενοι τῶν σῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος.