Letter 661: I would not say that Julian was equally distressed at leaving us and delighted at going to you — rather, his...

To Themistius (361) I would not say that Julian was as despondent at rising up [departing] as he was glad at journeying toward you; rather, the pleasure was greater than the grief. For just as a merchant sailing from harbor to harbor, from a less profitable one toward the one that better assists him in his trading ventures, does not disparage the former, but looks from afar toward the latter, so this man is drawn by the harbor that is with you, not because he holds us in dishonor; for you are one of those who know all things, and there is no form of discourse that this man has not laid hold of. But whether you display rhetoric, he will cry out; and at the passing by of Plato and of philosophy he will be stirred; and if you discourse about the stars, you will not see him idle; and if you examine the poets, he will busy himself about that which is his darling pursuit. And believing that your association will advance to other fine things as well, I enroll myself as a partner in the pleasure. For you will remember me, this I know clearly, and you will say that so-and-so too ought to have been present, and he will add: indeed, he very much ought to have been present.

Θεμιστίῳ (361) Οὐκ ἆν φαίην ὡς ὁμοίως τῷ τε ἀνίστασθαι ἠθύμει καὶ τῷ παρ’ ὑμᾶς βαδίζειν ἔχαιρεν Ἰουλιανός, ἀλλ’ ἦν μείζων τῆς λύπης ἡ ἡδονή. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔμπορος ἐκ λι- μένος εἰς λιμένα πλέων, ἐκ φαυλοτέρου περὶ τὰ κέρδη πρὸς τὸν μᾶλλον συναγωνιζόμενον ταῖς ἐμπορίαις, οὐ κακίζει μὲν τὸν πρότερον, βλέπει δὲ πόρρωθεν πρὸς τὸν δεύτερον, οὕτως οὗτος οὐκ ἀτιμάζων ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ παρὰ σοὶ λιμένος ἕλκεται· σύ τι γὰρ τῶν πάντα εἰδότων οὗτός τε οὐκ έ·στιν ὅτου λόγων εἴδους οὐχ ἧπται. ἀλλ’ ἢν τε ῥητορικὴν δεικνύῃς, βοήσε- ται Πλάτωνός τε καὶ φιλοσοφίας παριόντων κινήσεται, κἆν ὑπὲρ ἄστρων διαλεχθῇς, οὐκ ἀργὸν ὄψει, κἂν ποιητὰς ἐξετά- ζῃς, περὶ τὰ τοῦδε παιδικὰ σπουδάσῃ. πιστεύων δὲ τὴν συνουσίαν ὑμῖν καὶ ἐπ’ ἄλλα καλὰ προβήσεσθαι, κοινωνὸν ἐμαυτὸν τῆς ἡδονῆς γράφομαι. μεμνήσεσθε γάρ μου, τοῦτο οἶδα σαφῶς, καὶ σὺ μὲν ἐρεῖς ὅτι ἄρα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα παρεῖται χρῆν, ὁ δὲ προσθήσει· καὶ μάλα ἐχρῆν παρεῖναι.