Synesius of Cyrene

Mosaic depicting an angel. Museum of Ptolemais

Synesius of Cyrene (c.370-c.413) was a Neo-Platonic philosopher who became bishop of Ptolemais in the Cyrenaica. He left behind a small corpus of texts that offer much information about daily life in Late Antiquity, and about the christianization of the Roman world.

Letter 82, 83, 84, 85, and 86, all serve to recoomend "the charming Gerontius". It is remarkable that four of these five letters are directed to Synesius' brother Euoptius. One is left with the impression that Synesius was unsure about what to write and prepared several letters; not all of them were actually sent. The letters are here in the translation by A. Fitzgerald.

Letter 86: A Recommendation

To his Brother

I have entrusted to the charming Gerontius a letter addressed to your august and thrice-longed-for-self, one that offers and opportunity for your first meeting. Then perchance you will honor him for my sake, but, after you have made trial of him, you will honor some one else for his.

Online 2007
Revision: 17 August 2007