Letter 73: Andronicus the poet [a contemporary poet praised by Libanius] won over the cities as far as Ethiopia, as one might...

To Themistius. Andronicus the poet so disposed the cities as far as the Ethiopians toward himself, as was to be expected of an Andronicus who poured forth such honey. And yet his mother's misfortune and that of his city prevented him from displaying all the statues of his soul; but nevertheless, by those which he was able to display, he gave men cause to form a likeness concerning the things that did not appear. He gratified us not more by his verses than by the praises which he employed concerning you, saying that the emperor honors you with everything he has, yet that nothing has been found that is even close to your worth. And when I urged him not to thrust aside the offices that are being given, since it is possible both to rule and to sing at the same time, "But I," he says, "will go and give myself to Themistius as a pupil, considering this finer than ruling over many."

**To Themistius** (359) Andronicus the poet so disposed toward himself the cities as far as Ethiopia, as one might expect of an Andronicus pouring forth such honey. And yet the grief over his mother and the suffering of his city prevented him from displaying all the treasures of his soul; still, through what he was able to show, he gave people grounds to imagine what remained unseen. He delighted us no less through his praises than through his verses — the praises he lavished on you, saying that the emperor honors you with everything at his disposal, yet that nothing has yet been found that comes close to matching your worth. When I urged him not to refuse the governorships being offered to him, since it was possible to hold office and compose poetry at the same time, he replied: "No — I intend to go and give myself to Themistius as his student, for I consider that a finer thing than governing many."

Θεμιστίῳ. (359) Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ ποιητὴς οὕτω διέθηκε πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰς μέχρις Αἰθιόπων πόλεις, ὡς εἰκὸς ἦν Ἀνδρόνικον τοιοῦτον ἀφιέντα μέλι. καίτοι τὸ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως πάθος διεκώλυσε μὴ πάντα δεῖξαι τὰ ἀγάλματα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλ’ ὅμως οἷς ἠδυνήθη δεῖξαι δέδωκε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις εἰκά- ζειν περὶ τῶν οὐ φανέντων. ἐχαρίζετο δὲ ἡμῖν οὐ μᾶλλον διὰ τῶν ἐπῶν ἢ τῶν ἐπαίνων οἷς ἐχρῆτο κατὰ σοῦ λέγων τὸν μὲν βασιλέα τιμᾶν σε πᾶσιν οἷς εἶχεν, εὑρῆσθαι δὲ οὐδὲν οὐδέπω τῆς σῆς ἀξίας ἐγγύς. ἐμοῦ δὲ αὐτῷ παραινοῦντος μὴ διωθεῖσθαι τὰς διδομένας ἀρχὰς ὡς ἐνὸν ἄρχειν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ᾄδειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγώ φησιν εἶμι δώσων ἐμαυτὸν Θεμι- στίῳ μαθητὴν κάλλιον ἡγούμενος τοῦ πολλῶν ἄρ- χειν.