Letter 404: A man who receives a great gift from the gods and then thinks he has received only a small one wrongs those who gave it.
Φιλίππῳ. (355)
Ὁ μέγα τι λαβὼν παρὰ θεῶν ἀγαθόν, εἶτα μικρὸν εἰλη- 15
φέναι νομίζων ἀδικεῖ τοὺς δεδωκότας. σὺ δὲ εἶ μὲν ἐκ Μου-
σῶν μᾶλλον ἢ ᾧ δάφνην ἔδοσαν, τάττεις δὲ σαυτὸν εἰς τοὺς
οὐ μέγα λαβόντας.
ἀλλ’ ἀντιφθέγγεταί σοι πᾶς ἀνὴρ καὶ
πάντα ἔθνη, κἂν εἴπῃς ποιητήν, σέ τις ἀκήκοε, μάχεται δὲ
οὐδείς· ἡμῖν δὲ ἀνταγωνισταὶ πλείους ἢ ὅσαι μυῖαι κατὰ
σταθμὸν ποιμνήιον ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ.
ὅν δέ φημι σο-
φιστήν, ἀγνοεῖν προσποιῇ πάλαι πρῶτον αὐτὸν ἐψηφισμένος
σοφιστῶν.
Related Letters
It is the mark of a friend to feel pain when hearing such things and to write about them.
To the People of Alexandria.
1. When I had read your letter I thanked God; first, that I been greeted by a man desirous of doing me honour, for truly I highly estimate any intercourse with persons of high merit; secondly, with pleasure at the thought of being remembered. For a letter is a sign of remembrance; and when I had received yours and learned its contents I was asto...
I want my friends, whatever they say, to be seen as speaking the truth.
Klematios reported to us that certain people are making their usual bold attacks against you, sparing no word.