Damascius says [this]. [Severianus came] from Damascus, of one of the foremost families, son of Auxentios the son of Kallinikos, descended from Roman ancestors who settled in the Alexandrian country. He obtained an education befitting his natural acuity, in poetry and rhetoric; but also spending time on the laws of the Romans, he seemed to surpass his contemporaries. He was stubborn in his character and rushed to accomplish whatever came to his mind; he outstripped his deliberation with action. And because of this his life was a failure in many ways. For at first he was eager to turn to philosophy and, presenting himself to Proklos, to entrust himself to him.[1] At that time Proklos was in his prime and was flourishing at Athens. But his father became a hindrance to him; for he wanted him to give judgments and to make money from this profitable profession. His father soon died, but he himself setting out for Athens beheld a dream of this kind: he seemed to be sitting on the ridge of some mountain as if on a chariot and to be (as it were) driving the mountain. But fate led him according to necessity and also his own choice (which was bad), into another way of life, one which seemed to be lofty and magnificent, but [was actually] harsh and pointless. He himself chose this, and the experience of the outcome proved it -– for instead of philosophy and fortunate leisure he drove himself into politics and public administration. Being fond of controversy by nature and unwilling to be defeated in whatever he undertook, and ambitious, more than any other I know, yet through honorable deeds and words and bringing virtue out of his soul, he spent no time on money-making, nor was he spontaneously prone to injustice or greed, but he was always offensive and contentious towards his superiors, and did not think it right for any of the greater magistrates to go beyond what the accepted bounds of justice. In judging he was very harsh. And sometimes indeed, being led astray by anger and by the desire not to be regarded lightly, he brought about some deaths which brought pollution and misfortune; to these he attributed the cause of the misfortune in life which came upon him later. He even gave offense to Ardabur (the son of Aspar, a barbarian man who had great influence with the emperor) who was general of the eastern forces, he gave great difficulties to this man and to his father.[2] Having endured more and worse sufferings and violence he gained no benefit from this interference, but being excessively pious and Greek, the wretched man did not yield in spite of many threats and fears. To me he explained the greater and more political speeches of Isokrates,[3] not in the technical and sophistic manner, but in the wise and philosophical. Then I saw a man of good sense and able in intelligence for political explanations, but also an excellent judge of what was said. He sharpened my younger brother Julian so much for literature that he was prepared to memorize both poetry and the approved passages of the orators. As the wages of his eagerness he offered the prize which befits a companion: dinner. The works of the other poets he accepted in moderation, but when he took Callimachus[4] into his hands, there was no way he did not ridicule the Libyan poet; being very much irritated, often he even spat into the book. Zeno the emperor promised him the greatest authority after the emperor if he became an adherent of the prevailing [religion].[5] But not even thus did he persuade him, nor was he likely to persuade. To us he read the letter which conveyed the promise and failed to persuade. And he censured Arkadios of Larissa by a letter. For Severianus was a masterful and wise letter-writer, as it is possible for anyone to learn who happens on the man's letters.