Letter 854: Libanius introduces Hesychius to Eusebius and worries that Eusebius' city may keep so capable a legal advocate.

Hesychius has raised many trophies in the courts by helping justice. He has helped justice both as a governor and while sitting in a governor's place. A man of that character would have been happiest spending his time with us, thinking it enough simply to be among us. But necessity is bringing him to you. He says he will return to us at once and do what he did before. I would be surprised, though, and I told him so, if he escapes the love of that city, the love by which it has already detained and won many good men, giving them reputation, wealth, and every other kind of influence. If that happens, we will have both joy and sadness: joy because a friend has prospered, sadness because we no longer see him.

1. Ἡσύχιος ὁ πολλὰ στήσας ἐν δικαστηρίοις τρόπαια τῷ δικαίῳ βοηθῶν, βεβοήθηκε δὲ τῷ δικαίῳ καὶ ἄρχων καὶ ἀντ’ ἄρχοντος καθήμενος, οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ τοιοῦτος τὸν τρόπον ἥδιστα μὲν ἂν μεθ’ ἡμῶν διέτριβεν ἀρκεῖν αὐτῷ τὸ μεθ’ ἡμῶν εἶναι νομίζων, ἀνάγκη δὲ ὡς ὑμᾶς ἀγόμενος φησὶ μὲν εὐθύς τε ἡμῖν ἐπανήξειν καὶ ποιήσειν ἃ καὶ πρότερον· θαυμάσαιμι δ’ ἄν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπον, εἰ διαφεύξεται τὸν ἔρωτα τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης, καθ’ ἣν ἤδη πολλοὺς ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς κατέσχε τε καὶ ἐκτήσατο δοῦσα καὶ δόξαν καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ τὴν ἄλλην δύναμιν. 2. ὧν γιγνομένων ἡμᾶς ἕξει καὶ χαρὰ καὶ ἀθυμία, τὸ μέν, ὅτι φίλος εὖ ἔπραξε, τὸ δέ, ὅτι φίλον οὐχ ὁρῶμεν.