Letter 774: It seems I have received young Gaius as the child of three fathers: the one who begot him, you his uncle and...

To Gaius. (362) I seem to have received Gaius as the son of three fathers: of the man who begot him, and of you, who are both his uncle and his namesake, and further of that craftsman of noble discourses, the excellent Acacius, who from the time he himself arrived until the young man came never ceased saying that there would arrive a worthy son sprung from good men, a friend sprung from friends, a second Titianus. Consider, then, what manner of man I would be if, being about to gratify so many, I were one who would not have neglected the bidding even of a single one of them. For your brother, being your brother and a companion of fairness, is worthy of our regard; and you consort with the Muses and are able, in their presence, to praise whomever you wish. Is it not, then, a perilous thing for me not to obey you in all matters? And as for the strength of Acacius, with which he confers great benefits-though the other side of him another might know-who, taking thought, would not set before all others the man whom that one ranks in the place of Titianus? I therefore become a father to Gaius; and I count that man blessed for the few days in which he tasted the mysteries of Acacius. For he is not without a share, having partaken of the sacred rites.

Γαΐῳ. (362) Τριῶν ἔοικα πατέρων παῖδα τὸν Γάϊον δεδέχθαι, τοῦ τε γεγεννηκότος καὶ σοῦ τοῦ θείου τε καὶ ὁμωνύμου καὶ ἔτι τοῦ τῶν γενναίων δημιουργοῦ λόγων, Ἀκακίου τοῦ καλοῦ, ὃς ἀφ᾿ οὖπερ ἦκεν αὐτός, ἕως ἦλθεν ὁ νέος, οὐδὲν ἐπαύσατο λέγων ὡς ἥξει παῖς χρηστὸς ἐξ ἀγαθῶν, φίλος ἐκ φίλων, ἕτερος Τι- τιανός. ἐνθυμοῦ οὖν τίς ἂν εἴην μέλλων χαριεῖσθαι τοσού- τοις, ὃς οὐδ᾿ ἂν ἑνὸς ἐπιτάττοντος ἠμέλουν. ὅ τε γὰρ σὸς ἀδελφός, σός τε ὢν ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἐπιεικείας ἑταῖρος, αἰδοῦς ἡμῖν ἄξιος σύ τε ταΐς Μούσαις σύνει καὶ δύνασαι παρ᾿ αὑ- ταῖς οὓς ἂν ἐθέλῃς ἐπαινεῖν. οὔκουν ἀκίνδυνον μὴ πάντα σοι πείθεσθαι; τὴν δὲ Ἀκακίου ῥώμην, μεθ᾿ ἧς μεγάλα μὲν ὠφελεῖ, θάτερον δὲ ἄλλος εἰδείη, τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐννοῶν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων θεῖτο ὃν ἐκεῖνος ἐν τάξει Τιτιανοῦ; ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, γίγνομαι τῷ Γαΐῳ πατήρ· μακαρίζω δὲ ἐκεῖνον τῶν ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ἐν αἶς ἐγεύσατο τῶν Ἀκακίου μυστηρίων. οὑ γὰρ ἄδηλός ἐστι μετασχὼν ἱερῶν.