Letter 16: So is this a law for governors now -- that they must not write to their friends simply because they are governing?

**To Aristainetus** (357 or 358) Is this too, then, a law for governors — that they must not write to their friends, since they are governing? If such a law has indeed been laid down and written, then abide by it and keep your silence. But if no law forbids it, where does the silence come from? Tell me. For I think I have found the answer: the sheer volume of business has overwhelmed you, and the care of public affairs leaves no room for attending to private ones. I would rather persuade myself of this than believe that you have forgotten your friends on account of your office — you, whom I hear have been made more moderate by power and differ from your former self only in accomplishing more, since your character is the same, though there are those who say it is even better. Januarius, then, will report to you about me — that I am unwell, unless he chooses to deceive you so as not to cause you grief. For I am always wrestling with one wave or another. This is the penalty I pay to the god of friendship: that something has come to seem more precious to me than my friends. But what I can tell you about Januarius himself is this: in a difficult administration he proved himself an honest man. He alone won praise from those who obtained what they needed quickly and from those who obtained it slowly alike — so much charm did he blend into his delays. And so, in departing, he grieves the better sort of people, because while he was present he gave no one cause for grief. When I made requests of him, he was so far from refusing that if ever I paused in asking, he called the omission an insult and reproached me for it. Regarding your successes as his own and mine alike, whatever good news he learned he would come running to me and announce it, his face proclaiming his delight. I would say more if I were writing to someone who did not know the man, but as it is, you know him well.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (357 vel 358) Ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἄρχουσι νόμος μὴ τοῖς φίλοις ἐπι- στέλλειν, ἐπειδήπερ ἄρχουσιν; εἰ μὲν δὴ κεῖται καὶ γέγραπται, χρῶ τῷ νόμῳ καἰ σίγα· εἰ δ’ οὐδεὶς κωλύει νόμος, πόθεν ἡ σιγή; λέγε. εὑρηκέναι γάρ μοι δοκῶ· μεῖζόν σου γεγένηται τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἡ φροντὶς οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. τοῦθ’ ἥδιόν μοι πείθειν ἐμαυ- τὸν ἢ ὅτι σὺ τῶν φίλων ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπελάθου, ὃν ἀκούω μετριώτερον ὑπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας εἶναι καὶ τούτῳ τοῦ προτέρου διαφέρειν τῷ πλείω πράττειν· ὡς ὅ γε τρόπος <ὁ> αὐτός, εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ λέγουσιν ὡς καὶ βελτίων. Ἰανουάριος μὲν οὖν ἀπαγ- γελεῖ σοι περὶ ἡμῶν, ὡς ἀρρωστοῦμεν, εἰ μή σε ἐξαπατᾶν βούλοιτο τοῦ μὴ λυπεῖν· ἀεὶ γάρ τινι προσπαλαίομεν κύματι. καὶ ταύτην τίνομεν τῷ Φιλίῳ τὴν δίκην, ὅτι δή τι φίλων ἡμῖν ἐφάνη τιμιώτερον. ἐγὼ δέ σοι περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγειν ἔχω, ὡς ἐν δυσχερεῖ διοικήσει χρηστὸς ἐδείχθη. καὶ τοῦτον μόνον οἱ τε ταχέως οἴ τε βραδέως ὧν ἔχρῃζον τυχόντες ἐπῄνεσαν τοσαύτην ἀνεμίγνυ γοητείαν ταῖς ἀναβολαῖς τοιγαροῦν ἀπιὼν ἀνιᾷ τοὺς βελτίους, διότι παρὼν οὐκ ἐλύπησεν. ἐμοὶ δὲ δεομένῳ τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχεν ἀπειθεῖν ὥστ’ εἰ διαλείποιμι τοῦτο ποιῶν.. ὕβριν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐκάλει καὶ διεμέμφετο. τὰ σὰ δὲ ἀγαθὰ νομίζων αὐτοῦ τε καὶ ἐμὰ ὅ τι μάθοι τρέχων ὡς ἡμᾶς ἐμήνυε τῷ προσώπῳ κηρύττων τὴν ἡδονήν. εἶπον ἂν πλείω πρὸς ἀγνοοῦντα, νῦν δ’ ἐπίστασαι τὸν ἄνδρα.