Libanius, On His Own Fortune:
“First, if being a citizen of a great and renowned city has any bearing on one’s good fortune, then let the reader consider the size of Antioch, how great it is, and how much land it possesses, from what kinds of springs it drinks, with what gentle breezes it is soothed into luxury – even someone who does not see the city can understand it all from hearing this. How much land or how much of the sea does not receive the glorious fame of Antioch? It happened that my family were among the greatest in the greatest city in education, wealth, public spending, contests, and speeches which oppose the impositions of the rulers.”
Πρῶτον τοίνυν, εἰ καὶ τόδε εἰς εὐτυχίαν φέρει πόλεως πολίτην εἶναι μεγάλης τε καὶ ὀνομαστῆς, ἀθρείτω μέν τις τῆς ᾿Αντιόχου τὸ μέγεθος καὶ οἵα τις αὐτὴ καὶ πόσην νέμεται γῆν καὶ οἵων μὲν πίνει πηγῶν, οἵοις δὲ ζεφύροις τρυφᾷ, ἔστι δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἰδόντι τὴν πόλιν ἀκοῇ πάντα ἐπίστασθαι. ποῖος γὰρ ἠπείρων ἢ ποῖος θαλάττης μυχός, οἷ τὸ κλέος οὐ πεπόρευται τοῦ ἄστεος; ἐν δὴ μεγίστῃ μεγίστους εἶναι συνέβη γένος τοὐμὸν παιδείᾳ τε καὶ πλούτῳ καὶ χορηγίαις καὶ ἀγῶσι καὶ λόγοις, ὅσοι φοραῖς ἀρχόντων ἀπαντῶσιν.
