Letter 841: Libanius asks Antiochus to assist a patient and deserving soldier whom Libanius himself could not help.

Receive this man, then, and help him. He is a soldier, worthy of attention because of his character. He expected to obtain that attention through me, but was unable to get it; yet he has not behaved like an aggrieved man, and has not let fall a single bitter word against anyone. And yet he has spent a long time looking to me and waiting at my side, while all I could do was share his distress. Since the gods, doing well by us, have given us the ability to give power to you, we make use of what they have granted and send to you a man who has borne nobly the experience of getting nothing done. Since you are Antiochus, you will receive both him and my letter gladly, and you will write back to tell me that I did not write for nothing. He understands well the expense that is unavoidable in such matters, and he does not shrink from it.

1. Δέχου δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε καὶ ποίει στρατιώτην ὄντα μὲν προνοίας ἄξιον διὰ τὸν τρόπον, προσδοκήσαντα δὲ τοῦτο ἕξειν δι’ ἐμοῦ, σχεῖν δὲ οὐ δυνηθέντα, τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀχθομένων οὐ πεποιηκότα ῥῆμα οὐδὲν ἀφέντα κατ’ οὐδενὸς δυσχερές. 2. καίτοι μακρὸς ἀνήλωται χρόνος αὐτῷ βλέποντί τε εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ παρεστηκότι, τὸ δ’ ἐμὸν ἦν τοσοῦτον, ὅσον συναχθεσθῆναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ θεοὶ καλῶς ποιοῦντες ἔδοσαν ἡμῖν τὸ σοὶ δοῦναι δύναμιν, χρώμεθά τε τοῖς παρ’ ἐκείνων καὶ πέμπομεν πράξοντά τι τὸν τὸ μηδὲν ποιεῖν ἐνεγκόντα γενναίως. 3. σὺ δὲ ὢν Ἀντίοχος τοῦτόν τε ἡδέως ὄψει καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα γράμματα καὶ γράψεις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὡς οὐ τηνάλλως ἐγράψαμεν. τὴν δ’ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀναγκαίαν δαπάνην οἶδέ τε καλῶς καὶ οὐ φεύγει.