Letter 237: May this pregnancy of yours produce heirs not only to your estate but also to your wisdom -- that wisdom you have...
Θεμιστίῳ. (360?)
Ἀλλ’ εἴη ταύτην γέ σοι τὴν γαστέρα κληρονόμους τεκεῖν
καὶ μὴ μόνον τῆς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς σοφίας, ἣν δὴ λειμῶ-
νος ποικιλωτέραν δεικνύων πάλαι κρατεῖς, εἰ μὲν καὶ τοὺς ταὐτὸ
σοι καλουμένους οὐκ οἶδα, οἱ ῥήτορες δὲ ἡττήμεθα.
τέως
μὲν οὖν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ συνέχαιρον, ἣ καὶ σὲ καὶ τοὺς γάμους ἐδέ-
ξατο, νῦν δὲ τῇ Μεγάλη πόλει σέ τε ἀπολαβούσῃ καὶ προσ-
λαβούσῃ τὴν νύμφην, μακαρίζω δὲ καὶ τὸν οὐκ ἀπόντος σου
τὴν Μεγάλην ὀψόμενον πόλιν, ὅτι αὐτὴν ὄντως ὄψεται μεγά-
λῆν.
τὸν μὲν οὖν τῶν πραγμάτων πόνον ἀνεθήκαμεν Κλε-
άρχῳ, παρὰ σοῦ δὲ Εὐστόχιος τιμηθήτω τῷ νομισθῆναι τοῦτο
ὅπερ ἐστίν. ἔστι δὲ καλὸς κἀγαθός, κἀν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἃ
φίλον σαφῆ ζητεῖ πάντες ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐρχόμεθα.
τίμα δὲ αὐ-
τὸν καὶ τῷ μείζονι, καλῶ δὲ μεῖζον τὸ σῶν ἀκοῦσαι λόγων·
οὓς εἰ μὲν καινοὺς δεικνύεις, καινῆς θοίνης μεταλήψεται τὸ
μέρος· εἰ δ’ οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ νῦν εἰης, τοῖς παλαιοῖς αὐτὸν ἑστία,
μᾶλλον πάντως αὐτὸν ἑστιάσεις καινοῖς· ὅ τι γὰρ ἂν φθέγξῃ,
τοῦτο τῶν γεγραμμένων οὐ χεῖρον.
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