Letter 868: Libanius laments Elebichus' absence, rejoices in imperial favor toward him, and asks him to help Antioch's ambassadors.

What a great pleasure you have taken from us by leaving us and deciding that being with others was more important. What a thing it was, in the evening, to say to one another that when day appeared we must run to you; then to add the action to the words, run when day appeared, see you, hear you speak, say something ourselves, and go away happier. Still, we do not accuse Fortune of everything. Even if we have been deprived of your company, we are gladdened by what we hear. We hear that the emperor is well disposed toward you, that he has written letters to you and that you have received letters worthy of him, letters that offer brighter hopes. We repay this joy with the grief you felt for us, remembering those tears you shed with us on our behalf. We therefore beg the god who gave what has been given to give what has not yet been given, and to grant us a wakefulness sweeter than any sleep. That matter will be the concern of the supreme god. Your concern now should be for the ambassadors, who are my children; the labor I have spent on them gives me the right to call them that. Best of all, help them from close at hand, seated beneath the most divine emperor. If that is still delayed, then there are letters, and letters too have power.

1. Ὅσης ἡμᾶς εὐφροσύνης ἀπεστέρησας ἡμᾶς μὲν ἀφείς, τὸ δὲ σὺν ἄλλοις εἶναι μεῖζον ἡγησάμενος. οἷον γὰρ δὴ ἦν ἑσπέρας μὲν πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰπεῖν ὅτι δεῖ φανείσης ἡμέρας ὡς σὲ δραμεῖν, προσθεῖναι δὲ τὸ ἔργον καὶ φανείσης δραμεῖν ἰδεῖν τέ σε καὶ λαλοῦντος ἀκοῦσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν τι καὶ αὐτοὺς ἡδίους γενομένους ἀπελθεῖν. 2. οὐ μὴν πάντα γε ἐγκαλοῦμεν τῇ Τύχῃ. καὶ γὰρ εἰ τὴν σὴν συνουσίαν ἀφῃρέθημεν, οἷς γε ἀκούομεν εὐφραινόμεθα. ἀκούομεν δὲ εὔνοιαν εἶναι σοι τὴν βασιλέως καὶ ἐπιστολὰς ἐκείνῳ τε γράψαι καὶ σοὶ λαβεῖν πρεπούσας λαμπροτέρας παρεχούσας ἐλπίδας. 3. τῇ χαρᾷ δὲ ἡμεῖς ταύτῃ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σου λύπην ἀμειβόμεθα μεμνημένοι τῶν δακρύων ἐκείνων, ἃ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀφῆκας. τὴν οὖν δοῦσαν ἃ δέδωκε θεὸν ἱκετεύομεν ὃ μήπω δέδωκε δοῦναι καὶ τὴν ἡδίω παντὸς ὕπνου παρασχεῖν ἀγρυπνίαν. 4. ἐκείνου μὲν οὖν τῷ τῶν θεῶν ὑπάτῳ μελήσει· σοὶ δὲ νῦν μελησάτω τῶν πρέσβεων παίδων ὄντων ἐμῶν· οἱ γὰρ περὶ αὐτούς μοι πόνοι ταύτην ποιοῦσι τὴν προσηγορίαν. 5. καὶ μάλιστα μὲν ἐγγύθεν ἀμῦναι ὑπὸ τῷ θειοτάτῳ βασιλεῖ καθήμενος· εἰ δ’ ἔτι τοῦτο μέλλει, γράμματά γέ ἐστιν ἔχοντα καὶ αὐτὰ τὸ δύνασθαι.