Letter 429: I rejoice for both philosophy and the emperor -- for him, because he knows how to honor the finest gift the gods...

To Themistius (355) I rejoiced both for philosophy and for the emperor: for the latter, because he knows how to honor the fairest of the gifts the gods have given to man; and for her [philosophy], because she is admired even by those in positions of power. And both she herself and he would owe gratitude to you; for you are the cause of both of them obtaining these things. But I knew these things even before you wrote to me about them, from the letter that came to the most excellent Strategius. For he gave both what you wrote to him and what the all-good emperor wrote about you to the council. And once we had learned through an interpreter what it was, we were overjoyed. And there was even a report older than this letter, and it was not disbelieved, and the letter was soon added to it. The finest of the things accomplished was that, through those means by which it was possible to share in the council, he did not dishonor it, but gracefully thrust aside the things that carried the [...] [text uncertain]. For this was the very thing: both to honor and to have been justly honored by that man [...]. My own situation is as follows: the ailments of my body advise me to remain. And know well, even if I were exceedingly healthy, I would have counseled myself to remain. For here there is good pasturage for herds of young men, whereas teaching rhetoric among you is the beginning of Scythia [an exile to the wilds].

Θεμιστίῳ (355) Συνήσθην φιλοσοφίᾳ τε καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ· τῷ μέν, ὅτι τὸ κάλλιστον ὧν ἔδοσαν ἀνθρώπῳ θεοὶ τιμᾶν ἐπίσταται· τῇ δ’, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐν ἐξουσίαις θαυμάζεται. σοὶ δ’ ἂν ἔχοι χάριν αὐτή τε καὶ ἐκεῖνος· σὺ γὰρ ἀμφοῖν αἴτιος τούτων τυ- χεῖν. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ πρὶν ἐπιστεῖλαί σε πρὸς ἐμὲ ταῦτα ᾔδειν ἐκ τῶν πρὸς τὸν ἄριστον ἡκόντων Στρατήγιον γραμμάτων. ἔδωκε γὰρ ἅ τε σὺ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἃ περὶ σοῦ πρὸς τὴν βου- Λὴν ὁ πάντα ἀγαθὸς ἔγραψε βασιλεύς. ἃ δὴ δι’ ἑρμηνέως ὅ τι εἴη μαθόντες ὑπερεχαίρομεν. ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ τούτων τῶν γραμμάτων πρεσβυτέρα φήμη καὶ οὐκ ἠπιστήθη, ταχὺ δὲ προσ- ετέθη καὶ τὰ γράμματα. κάλλιστον δὲ τῶν πεπραγμένων τὸ δι’ ὧν μὲν ἦν μετασχεῖν τῆς βουλῆς μὴ ἀτιμάσαι, τὰ δὲ τὸ Λρδος φέροντα ἐμμελῶς διώσασθαι. τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν αὐτό, τε τιμῆσαι καὶ τὸ δικαίως ὑπ’ ἐκείνου τετιμῆσθαι Μαὶ. τὸ δ’ ἐμὸν οὕτως ἔχει· τὰ τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστήματα παραινεῖ μοι μένειν. εὖ δὲ ἴσθι, κἄν εἰ σφόδρα ἦν ὑγιής, ἐμαυτῷ σύμ- βουλος ἂν ἐγενόμην μένειν. τῇδε μὲν γὰρ ἀγέλαις νέων εὔω- ῥία, τὸ δὲ παρ’ ὑμὶν διδάσκειν λόγους ἀρχὴ Σκυρία.