Letter 373: I have no complaint against your household — quite the contrary, I am deeply grateful.
Θαλασσίω. (358)
Ἐγὼ τοῖς σοῖς ἐγκαλῶ μὲν οὐδέν, χάριν δὲ οἶδα πολλήν.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὧν ἐπηγγέλλομεν τυγχάνομεν, ἀλλὰ κἂν διαλεί-
πωμεν ἐπιτάττοντες, ἀδικεῖσθαί φασιν, ὅτι μηδὲν ὑπηρετοῦσι.
σὲ μέντοι καὶ οἱ σοὶ καὶ αὐτὸς αἰτιῶμαι, ὅτι δὴ τοῦ συν-
εῖναι καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ τοῖς φίλοις πρότερον ἔθου δυνά-
μεώς τινος ἐλπίδα. καίτοι φασὶν οὐκ ἀργῶς σε τοῖς ἐκεῖ
προσφέρεσθαι. οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς γέλωτα καὶ ῥᾳστώνην καὶ σκώμ-
μαια καὶ ὕπνον ἀναλίσκειν τὸν χρόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πονεῖν καὶ
νήφειν καὶ ἐνεργὸν εἶναι καὶ τοῖς σώφροσι χαίρειν καὶ παρά-
δειγμα ποιεῖσθαι τὸν Σπεκτάτου βίον.
ἐγὼ δὲ ἐλθόντα
μὲν έκεῖσέ <σε> α ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἠξίουν, τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν
τὸ μένειν οἴκοι βέλτιον ἄγειν. ὅτῳ γὰρ γυνὴ μὲν ἀγαθὴ καὶ
νέα, παῖδες δὲ οὐδέπω, μεγάλα δὲ τὰ ὄντα καὶ ὅσα ἂν εἰς
εὐδαιμονίαν ἀρκέσαι, τί δεῖ τοῦτον ἀφέντα τὰ μὲν φυλάττειν,
κληρονόμους δὲ ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος ἑτοιμάζειν, ἄλλο τι θαυμά-
ζεῖν;
ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα πάλαι <τε> α ἐδόκει συμφέρειν
νῦν, σὺ δὲ ὡς μὲν ἐπανήξων τῷ θέρει τὴν ἔξοδον εὕρου, λαβό-
μενος δὲ Παιόνων τὰς συνθήκας ἠτίμασας.
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