Letter 396: From the letter you sent us some time ago, we expected you to come in person.

To Mantitheus. (355) From the letter that you had sent to us some time ago, we expected that you yourself would come; but your writing to us from Europe struck us as something new. When we received your letter, we thought it right not to delay at all, but at once we ran to the man whom you wished, and we employed all the praises of you that we had at our command, and we urged him to send for you. But he said: "If you do not know what he has done, you are asleep; but if, knowing about such conduct, you produce such praises, then you are seeking how you may serve him, while of me you take no great care." And when I tried to dissolve the accusations, he said that a trustworthy man arrived from Ionia had reported them, and that I ought not to trouble him. That we have, then, done no wrong, but rather, if anything troublesome has occurred, have suffered misfortune, this I know; for I know your character, and I myself am among those struck down by men who lie with ease. What we needed to bring about, then, has in this respect not been accomplished; but you, if you see any other road along which I have some power, send word, and you will not say that I am idle. As for the matter of the wicked slave and the worthy brothers, it stood thus. While Honoratus was governor, a soldier came against them, seized them, and was leading them away. But while they were still on the journey, the one [Honoratus] had been removed from office, and the other [the soldier] released those whom he was leading, clearly having sold their release. When Nebridius learned of this, he exacts a twofold punishment from the soldier. For having flogged him he expels him from the register, and through others he searches out those men. Thus, of our troubles, some come upon us, and others refuse to be undone. We must nevertheless believe that there will come at some time a moment for the better jar.

Μαντιθέῳ. (355) Ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων, ἃ πάλαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπεπόμφεις, αὐτόν σε προσεδοκῶμεν ἥξειν, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐπι- στέλλειν καινόν τι ἡμῖν ἐφάνη. λαβὼν δέ σου τὴν επιστο- λὴν οὐδέν τι ἠξίουν μέλλειν, ἀλλ’ εὐθὺς δραμὼν παρὰ τὸν ἄνδσα ὃν ἐβούλου πᾶσιν οἷς εἶχον ἐγκωμίοις ἐχρώμην κατὰ σοῦ καὶ μεταπέμπεσθαι παρῄνουν. ὁ δ’ εἰ μὲν ὄεις ἔφη τὰ πεπραγμένα αὐτῷ, καθεύδεις· εἰ δὲ εἰδὼς περὶ τοιούτων τρόπων τοιούτους ἐπαίνους ἐργάζῃ, τὸν μὲν ὅπως κορμήσεις ζητεῖς, ἐμοῦ δὲ οὐ σφόδρα κήδῃ. πειρωμένου δέ μου τὰς κατηγορίας λύειν ἄνδρα ἔφα- σκεν ἀξιόπιστον ἥκοντα ἐξ Ἰωνίας ἀπηγγελκέναι καὶ μὴ δεῖν με ἐνοχλεῖν. ὡς μὲν οὖν οὐκ ὴδιkήκαμεν, ἀλλ’, εἴπερ τι συνέβη δύσκολον, ἠτυχήκαμεν ἐπίσταμαι· τόν τε γὰρ σὸν ἐπί- σταμαι τρόπον αὐτός τέ ειμι τῶν πεπληγμένων ὑπὸ τῶν ῥᾳ- δίως ψευδομένων. ἃ δ’ οὖν ἔδει γεμέσθαι ἡμῖν, κατὰ τοῦτο οὐ πέπρακται· σὺ δ’ εἰ τιν’ ἄλλην ὁδὸν ὁρᾷς, πρὸς ἣν ἔχω τι δυνάμεως, ἐπίστελλε καί με οὐ φήσεις ἀργὸν εἶναι. τὰ δὲ τοῦ κακούργου δούλου καὶ τῶν χρηστῶν ἀδελφῶν ὧδε ἔσχεν. ἄρχοντος Ὁνωράτου στρατιώτης ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἐλθὼν λαβὼν ἦγεν. ἔτι δὲ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πορείας ὄντων ὁ μὲν ἀπήλλακτο τῆς ἀρ- χῆς, ὁ δὲ ἀφῆκεν οὓς ἦγε, δῆλον ὡς ἀποδόμενος τὴν ἄφεσιν. ταῦτα γνοὺς Νεβρίδιος διπλῆν πράττεται τιμωρίαν τὸν στρατιώτην. μαστιγώσας γὰρ ἐκβάλλει τοῦ καταλόγου καὶ δι ἄλλων ἐκείνους ἀναζητεῖ. οὕτως ἡμῖν τῶν δυσχερῶν τὰ μὲν ἐπέρχεται, τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἐθέλει λυθῆναι. δεῖ μέντοι πιστεύειν ὡς ἥξει ποτὲ καιρὸς τοῦ βελτίονος πίθου.