Letter 759: This Achillius was my fellow student, and his son is being raised under my care — a boy of a lively nature who knows...

To Maximus. (362) This man Achillius both was a fellow-student with me, and a son of his is being reared in my house, a boy of a wakeful nature and one who knows how to toil. As for the character of Achillius, it is enough to make it clear from the matters concerning his estate, which he did not make great out of small by base means, but rather, out of a very great one, made small by the expenditures connected with the city. And now he comes to perform a public service [liturgy], but he had come here to see his son. For he has these two cares: his son and his city. And the matter of his son is, I think, itself also a part of his forethought for the city; inasmuch as those who attend to the mind of their sons do far greater good to their own cities than when they fund liturgies splendidly. You therefore, both honoring that and praising this and bearing my interest in mind, act so that he may find the burden a light one.

Μαξίμῳ. (362) Ἀχίλλιος οὑτοσὶ καὶ συνεφοίτησέ μοι καὶ παῖς αὐτῷ τρέ- φεται παρ’ ἐμοὶ φύσεως τε ἐγρηγορυίας καὶ πονεῖν εἰδώς. τὸν δὲ Ἀχιλλίου τρόπον ἀρκεῖ δηλῶσαι τὰ περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἣν οὐ μεγάλην ἐκ μικρᾶς ἐποίησε κακῶς, ἀλλ’ ἐκ πάνυ μεγά- λῆς μικρὰν τοῖς περὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀναλώμασι. καὶ νῦν ἥκει λειτουργήσων, δεῦρο δὲ ἀφῖκτο τὸν υἱὸν ὀψόμενος. δύο γὰρ δὴ ταύτας ἔχει φροντίδας, τὸν παῖδα καὶ τὴν πόλιν. ἔστι οἶμαι, καὶ τὸ τοῦ παιδὸς τῆς περὶ τὴν πόλιν προνοίας· ὡς ὅσοι τῆς τῶν υἱέων ἐπιμελοῦνται διανοίας, πολὺ μεῖζον εὖ ποιοῦσι τὰς αὑτῶν ἢ ὅταν χορηγῶσι λαμπρῶς. σὺ τοίνυν κἀκεῖνο τιμῶν καὶ τοῦτο ἐπαινῶν καὶ τοὐμὸν ἐννοῶν ποίει, ὅπως κούφῳ χρήσεται τῷ φορτίῳ.