Letter 338
Late Antiquity Basil of Caesarea Greek- Libanius to Basil I know that you will write this often—"See, here comes yet another Cappadocian to you." For many, I suppose, you will send, always and everywhere employing your praises of me, and by this very means stirring up both fathers and sons. But what happened in the matter of your fine letter, it would not be fine to pass over in silence. There were seated beside me not a few of those who have held office, and among them the wholly excellent Alypius, cousin of the famous Hierocles. So when the bearers handed over the letter, having gone through it all in silence, "We are defeated," I said, smiling and rejoicing at once. "And what victory have you been defeated in?" they asked; "and how is it you feel no pain at being defeated?" "In beauty of letters," I said, "I am beaten; Basil has won. And the man is my friend, and for that reason I rejoice." When I had said this, they wished to learn the victory from the letter itself. And Alypius read it aloud, while those present listened. And the verdict was given, that I had told no lie. And the reader went out holding the letter, to show it, I suppose, to others as well, and only with difficulty gave it back. Write, then, the like, and conquer; for that is to conquer me. And you conjecture rightly in this too, that what comes from us is not measured by money; rather, for one who cannot give, it is enough to be willing to receive. For if I perceive someone in poverty who is in love with eloquence, he comes before the rich. And yet such were not the teachers we ourselves experienced; but nothing will prevent us from being better at least in this respect. Let no poor man, then, hesitate to make his way here, if he possesses that one thing only—the knowledge of how to labour.