Letter 359: To the same. (~358 AD)
Τῷ αὐτῶ. (358)
Δόμνῳ τούτῳ πατήρ τε ἦν ἀγαθὸς καὶ κηδεστὴς βελτίων·
γαμεῖ γὰρ θυγατέρα Κέλσου, δι’ ὃν οὐκ ἄμοιροι Σύροι τῆς
Ἰταλῶν φωνῆς. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Δόμνος τοιοῦτος, οἶος, εἰ
καὶ μηδέτερον ὧν ἔφην εἶχεν, ἀπὸ τῶν τρόπων εἰκότως ἂν
τιμᾶσθαι.
ζῶν γὰρ ἐν στρατιώτου σχήματι καλλίω γνώμην
παρέχεται τοῦ βίου θράσους ἀπηλλαγμένος, πανουργεῖν οὐκ
εἰδώς, κέρδος ἄδικον βλάβην ἡγούμενος, χάριν ἕτοιμος μὲν
δοῦναι, λαβὼν δὲ ἀποδοῦναι, μᾶλλον μειδιῶν ἢ σκυθρωπάζων,
ἁπλῶς μέμψεως μὲν οὐδενὶ δοὺς ἐπ’ οὐδενὶ πρόφασιν, ἐπαίνου
δὲ πολλοῖς ἐπὶ πάνυ πολλοῖς.
τὴν μὲν οὖν τῇδε διακονίαν
πεπλήρωκε, νόμῳ δὲ πρὸς τὴν μείζω στρατείαν μεθίσταται.
τοῦ δ’ ὡς ἄριστα πράξειν ἐκεῖ μίαν ἐλπίδα τὴν σὴν ἔχει ῥο-
πή ἔχει δέ γε καὶ τῆς ῥοπῆς αὐτῆς ἐλπίδας. δύο γὰρ δὴ
ταῦτα παρ’ ἡμῖν ᾄδεται, ὡς ἐθέλεις τε τοῖς ἐνθένδε βοηθεῖν
καὶ δύναμις ἴση τῇ γνώμῃ. ἃ νῦν ἀκούων Δόμνος ἐπὶ τοῖς
ἕργοις πρὸς ἄλλους ἐρεῖ.
Related Letters
To the same. (361)
Was anyone ever so pleased digging the earth for one purpose only to stumble upon gold, as Jovinus was at seeing you...
To the Emperor Jovian concerning the Faith
For 330. Easter-day xxiv Pharmuthi; xiii Kal.
I received a letter from you the day before yesterday. It is shown to be yours not so much by the handwriting as by the peculiar style. Much meaning is expressed in few words.