Letter 568: I praised Spectatus for what he did for you -- or rather for what he did for me, since I consider everything done...

To Silanus. (357) I praised Spectatus for his conduct toward you, or rather toward myself; for I considered and declared that these things done toward you had been done toward me. I rejoiced with him as he said that he had accomplished small things, but promised greater ones. And it is clear that, even when he has done the greater things, he will call even those small in comparison with what is yet to come. As for the father of Iamblichus, you knew him not so much from the multitude of his offices as from his virtue in those offices; but this man [the son] you did not know, for being young he was unknown. Now, however, you will know a son better than his father, one to whom money is of little account, but of great account is the doing of something honorable. Not so much does an athlete long for crowns as this man longs both to undo evil for a friend and to provide him good. And though he knows how to speak, for he is an orator, he also knows how to keep silent where silence is the better course. If this man, without coming to know you, should run through the city, this is a loss to both: to him, in not sharing in your wisdom; and to you, in not imparting to him your own wisdom, to one to whom you most ought to have imparted it. But with good fortune do you each enjoy the good things of one another.

Σιλανῷ. (357) Ἐπῄνεσα Σπεκτάτον τῶν εἰς σέ, μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν εἰς τὰ γὰρ εἰς σὲ ταῦτ’ εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ἡγούμην τε καὶ ἔλεγον πε- πρᾶχθαι. συνήσθην δὲ αὐτῷ μικρὰ μὲν πεποιηκέναι λέγοντι, μείζω δὲ ὑπισχνουμένῳ. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὰ μείζω ποιήσας μικρὰ κἀκεῖνα πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα φήσει. Ἰαμβλίχου δὲ τὸν πατέρα μὲν ᾔδεις οὐκ ἀπὸ πλήθους μᾶλλον ἀρχῶν ἢ τῆς ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ἀρετῆς, τοῦτον δὲ ἠγνόεις, νέος γὰρ ὢν ἠγνοεῖτο· νῦν δὲ εἴσῃ παῖδα βελτίω πατρός, ᾧ χρημάτων μὲν οὐ πολὺς λόγος, πολὺς δὲ λόγος τοῦ τι ποιῆσαι καλόν. οὐχ οὕτως ἀθλη- τὴς ἐρᾷ στεφάνων ὡς οὗτος φίλῳ καὶ λῦσαι κακὸν καὶ πα- ρασχεῖν ἀγαθόν. λέγειν δὲ εἰδώς, ἔστι γὰρ ῥήτωρ, οἶδε καὶ σιγᾶν, οὗ σιγὴ βελτίων. οὗτος ἂν μὴ μαθών σε διαδράμῃ τὴν πόλιν, ἀμφοτέροις αὕτη ζημία, τῷ μὲν οὐ μετασχόντι τῆς σῆς σοφίας, σοὶ δὲ οὐ μεταδόντι τῆς αὑτοῦ σοφίας, ᾧ μάλιστα χρῆν. ἀλλ’ ἀγαθῇ τῇ τύχῃ χρήσασθε τοῖς ἀλλήλων ἀγαθοῖς.