Libanius → Andronicus, a general
Tradução moderna em inglês
To Andronicus. (358-361)
We have received a wonderful report about both of you -- Hypatius and yourself -- and you should know that you fully deserve the title you bear: true governors.
We congratulate those your subjects are saving, and you, as is natural, congratulate each other -- he because such a man is tending his homeland, you because you govern a city that produced such a man.
I was surprised, though, that he needed my intervention with you on behalf of his own people. If he did this so that, in receiving a benefit, he might know that I too was doing him a favor -- then he did well. But if he had not yet experienced your goodwill, he cannot be blamed for not knowing what he had not yet felt. You should consider that you owe a debt to a man who governs as you do. For if he honors the same things you do, he is doing you a favor, and you owe him thanks for that favor.
Imagine yourself owning property in Palestine and farming it. If he showed no concern for your affairs, would we not rightly accuse him? That is exactly what would come back to us if we were neglectful. So let us be seen giving what we would then demand.
Texto latino / grego
Ἀνδρονίκῳ. (358—361) Ὑπὲρ ἀμφοτέρων ὑμῶν, Ὑπατίου τε καὶ σοῦ, θαυμαστὴν ἐδεξάμεθα φήμην, καὶ ἴστον τοῦτο ὃ δὴ καλεῖσθον, ἄρχοντες ἀκριβῶς. ἡμεῖς τε οὖν συγχαίρομεν τοῖς ὑφ’ ὑμῶν ὑμῶν σωζο- μένοις ὑμεῖς τε, ὡς εἰκός, ἀλλήλοις, ὁ μέν, ὅτι τοιοῦτος αὐ- τῷ τὴν πατρίδα θεραπεύει, σὺ δέ, ὅτι πόλεως ἄρχεις, ἣ τοι- οῦτον ἤνεγκεν. ἐθαύμασα δέ, ὅπως ἐμῆς ἐδεήθη πρὸς σὲ παρακλήσεως εἰς κηδεμονίαν τῶν αὑτοῦ. εἰ μὲν γὰρ εὖ πά- σχων, ὅπως ὅτι κἀμοὶ χαρίζῃ μάθοι, τοῦτο ἐποίησε, καλῶς ἐποίησεν· εἰ δ’ οὔπω τῆς σῆς εὐνοίας πεῖραν λαβών, οὐκ μαθεῖν, ὅθεν οὔπω πέπονθεν εὖ. δεῖ γάρ σε νομίζειν μισθὸν ὀφείλειν τῷ προσομοίῳ σοι κατὰ τὴν ἀρχήν. εἰ γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ τιμᾷ, χαρίζεται δήπου σοι, τῷ χαριζομένῳ δὲ χάριν ὀφείλεις. θὲς δὴ σαυτὸν ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ κτήματα ἔχειν καὶ γεωργεῖν, τῷ δὲ οὐδὲν τῶν σῶν μέλειν οὐκ ἂν κατηγοροῖμεν καὶ δι- καίως; τοῦτο δή, τοῦτο νῦν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς, εἰ ῥᾳθυμοῖμεν, ἥξει. φαινώμεθα τοίνυν διδόντες ὃ τότε ἂν ἀπῃτοῦμεν.
Texto inglês de origem
To Andronicus. (358–361) We have received a wonderful report concerning both of you, Hypatius and yourself, and you are in truth what you are called: governors in the fullest sense. We therefore rejoice with those whose welfare you safeguard, and you, as is only natural, rejoice in one another — he, because such a man as you tends to his homeland; you, because you govern a city that produced such a man as he. I was surprised, however, that he felt he needed an appeal from me to you on behalf of his interests. If he did this while already enjoying your favor, so that he might learn that you are also obliging me in the process, then he did well. But if he has not yet had experience of your goodwill, he cannot be blamed for not knowing the source from which he has not yet benefited. For you should consider that you owe a debt to the man who mirrors you in his governance. If he honors the same principles, he is surely doing you a favor — and to one who does you a favor, you owe a favor in return. Suppose that you yourself owned estates in Palestine and were farming them there — if he took no care for your affairs, would we not rightly accuse him? This very charge, this very one, will fall upon us if we are negligent. Let us therefore be seen giving what we would then have demanded.