Letter 357: I knew you would receive my letter gladly — you always welcomed my words in person.
Παρνασίῳ. (358)
Ἤιδειν ὅτι μου δέξη τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἡδέως, καὶ γὰρ παρ-
ὼν τοὺς λόγους. ταῦτα δὲ πείθων ἐμαυτόν, εἰ καὶ χάριν
εὐθὺς αἰτοίην, οὐκ ἐκφέρομαι τοῦ εἰκότος. ἢ γὰρ οὐ νομί-
ζοντα φιλεῖσθαι χρῆν ὀκνεῖν ἢ φιλεῖσθαι πεπιστευκότα δεῖ
θαρρεῖν. ἡ δὲ χάρις καὶ δοῦναι ῥᾴστη καὶ τῷ διδόντι καλή.
γνῶθι δέ · Κλεόβουλος ἐξ Αἰγύπτου παρ’ ἡμᾶς μετῴκησε,
ποιητής τε ἀγαθὸς καὶ διδάσκαλος οἷος οὐκ ἄλλος, δοὺς δὲ
αὑτὸν οὐ πολλοῖς, οὐ γὰρ ἔρρωτο τὸ σᾶμα, πρότερον ἐποιεῖτό
με τῶν ἄλλων. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Κλεόβουλος ἐμοὶ τίμιον, κἂν
ἐπιτάττοντος ἀπειθήσω, παῖς ἠδίκηκε πατέρα.
καὶ τί δεῖ
με μηκύνειν περὶ αὐτοῦ παρόντος σοι τοῦ τὸν ἄνδρα εἰδότος
Ἀριστοφάνους. ὃν ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων κοσμεῖ τὸ σοὶ συνεῖναι
ἐθέλειν;
τούτῳ τοίνυν τῷ Κλεοβούλῳ παῖς ἀδελφῆς ἐστι
παρ’ ὑμιν καὶ μέλλει γε τελέσειν εἰς τοὺς σοὺς ὑπηρέτας.
ἔγγραφε δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα μεθ’ ἡδονῆς καὶ τυγχανέτω χρηστοῦ
τινος διὰ τὸν θεῖον καὶ τῷ δοῦναι χάριν ἔλεγχε τὴν παροι-
μία ὡς ἄρα καὶ ἐν γῇ Χάριτες.
Related Letters
When you had fallen into all those Abydene misfortunes, I grieved.
I have the son I was looking for — your son — and one well suited to receive what he has come for.
Pray that many people travel through Bithynia, for then you will have many to sing your praises.
Encyclical letter
I expect the good Macedonius has told you about our struggles and about his responses to them.