Letter 289: My companions -- your rhetors -- the men I gave to you and you admired -- these very men who carry this letter are...
Μοδέστῳ. (359/60)
Τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἑταίρους, τοὺς σοὺς ῥήτορας, τοὺς ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ
σοι δοθέντας, τοὺς ὑπὸ σοῦ θαυμασθέντας, τούτους δὴ τοὺς
φέροντας τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῶν σῶν θυρῶν ἀποσπάσαι πειρῶν-
ται ψηφίσμασιν ἄνδρες, οὓς ἐξειλόμην πολλάκις τῆς παρὰ σοῦ
δικαίας ὀργῆς. μᾶλλον δέ, Εὐσεβίῳ μὲν ἀπειλοῦσι, τὸν δ’
ἤδη πρὸς λειτουργίαν ἕλκουσι δεομένην ἐρρωμένου σώματος.
Ἀγροίκιος δὲ οὕτω σφόδρα ἔρρωται, ὥστε πλεῖστον ἀνθρώ-
πων ἀργύριον ἰατροῖς ἐτέλεσεν ἀεὶ χρῄζων ἰατροῦ χειρῶν.
ἀλλὰ καὶ πέντε αὐτοῖν ἔνδον ἀδελφαὶ κάθηνται δεόμεναι μὶν
διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν νυμφίων, ἀποροῦσαι δὲ ὑπὸ πενίας. μικρὸν
γὰρ ἡ εὐγένεια νῦν.
ἐνθυμηθεὶς οὖν ὡς ἐμοί τε αἰσχύνην
ἔχει, τοῖς φίλοις εἰ μὴ δυναίμην βοηθεῖν, σοί τε οὐ καλὸν
νόμον παλαιὸν βοηθοῦντα ῥήτορσιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς λυθῆναι
πεῖθε τῶν πολιτευομένων τοὺς θρασυτέρους ὡς οὐ πάντα
αὐτοῖς ἐξέσται.
Related Letters
How much Eudaemon is worth to anyone who cares about Greek culture, how close a friend he is to us, and how much he...
Merely to write to so great a man, even though there be no other reason, must be esteemed a great honour. For communication with personages of high distinction confers glory upon all to whom it is permitted. My supplication, however, is one which I am driven by necessity to make to your excellency, in my great distress at the condition of my who...
I know that you welcome frankness, so I shall not waste your time with flattery before coming to the point.
The poets, I think, were right about Eros when they called him invincible [a reference to the famous Sophocles...
I feel my boldness in pressing my suit by letter upon a man in your position; still the honour that you have paid me in the past has banished all my scruples. Accordingly I write with confidence. My plea is for a relative of mine, a man worthy of respect for his integrity.