Letter 177: I am no prophet, but I can foresee certain things by reasoning.
Ἀλβανίῳ. (360) 5
Ἐγὼ μάντις μὲν οὔκ εἰμι, δυναίμην δ’ ἂν ἔνια τῶν
μελλόντων λογισμῷ προορᾶν. καὶ νῦν τοίνυν ὁρῶ καὶ προλέ-
γω πολλὰ ὑμῖν ἔσεσθαι, σοί τε καὶ τῷδε, παρ’ ἀλλήλων ἀγαθά.
καὶ γὰρ βουλήσεων καὶ πόνων καὶ ἔργων κοινωνήσετε καὶ
τοὺς οὐ ταῦτα περὶ ὑμῶν προσδοκῶντας ἐκπλήξετε, προσθήσω 10
δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἀνιάσετε.
πόθεν οὖν μοι ταῦτα ἔπεισι λέγειν;
ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲ ἐν οἷς φιλονεικεῖτε πρὸς μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον ἐξα-
χθῆναι, ἀλλὰ γενέσθαι τὴν στάσιν ἐκείνην μίμησιν στάσεως ἐν
παιδιᾷ μᾶλλον ἢ στάσιν. τίνες δὴ ἔσεσθε συμπνέοντες, οἵ γε
μηδὲ τοῖς συγκρούουσι πάντα κεχάρισθε;
ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ μὲν 15
τούτων ἐπιστελεῖτέ μοι τὴν μαντείαν ἐπαινοῦντες, σὺ δ’ οὔτε
ἐπιστέλλων λυπεῖς οὔτ’ ἤδη καταστήσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὁδόν τινα
βίου. τοῦ δὲ ἔτι φέρεσθαι δεῖγμά μοι τὸ τοὺς παῖδας ἔτι παρ’
ἡμῖν μένειν.
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