Letter 182: Your fine friend Bacchius has been separated from you and has not spent nearly enough time with me.
Δημητρίῳ. (359/60)
Ὑμῶν τε ὁ καλὸς διέστηκε Βάκχιος ἐμοί τε οὐχ
ἄξιον συγγεγένηται τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, τὸν μὲν οἴκοι κατέσχεν ἕλ-
κος, ἐμὲ δὲ τὰ τῆς τέχνης, οἶσθα ὁπόσα ὄντα, κωλύοντα εἶναι
ἐλεύθερον, καὶ προσεγένοντο δὴ φροντίδες διὰ τοὺς <οὐκ>
αἰδουμένους τὰ δόξαντα τῷ θείῳ. πάνυ γοῦν αὐτὰ κινεῖν
ἐπιχειροῦσιν.
αὐτὴν μέντοι τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἑταῖρον
εἶδον, ἀντὶ πολλῶν τε καὶ μάλα λευκὴν ἤγαγον ἀκούων τοὺς
ἐν τοῖς πότοις ἀγῶνας τοῦ μέλανος καὶ ὅπως διὰ τοῦ ζωμοῦ
τὸν οἶνον ἐζήτησεν. ἀλλὰ μήτ’ ἐκεῖνος παύσαιτο πίνων μήτε
σὺ γράφων, ὃς τοῦτο μέγιστον εἴργασαι τὸ μεθ’ ἡσυχίας στῆ-
σαι τὸ τρόπαιον.
Related Letters
You do not give me a chance to ask for anything -- you who send everything before being asked.
Nothing from you is small, because it comes from you.
Do not think my silence means I have forgotten you.
Well, the dreams did a fine job of prompting you -- though I know perfectly well you would have done the same thing...
Just as I'm enjoying the hospitality gifts you sent, so I'll make use of your letter's opening.