St. Basil on Pagan Literature

and its value for Christians:

...Now it is said that even Moses first trained his mind in the learning of the Egyptians, and then proceeded to the contemplation of Him who is. And wise Daniel at Babylon first learned the wisdom of the Chaldeans and then applied himself to the divine teachings. Since the virtuous deeds, likewise, of the men of old have been preserved for us, either through an unbroken oral tradition or through being preserved in the words of poets or writers of prose, let us not fail to derive advantage from this source also...