Letter 408: Both my long silence and my writing now have their reasons.

To Deon. Both my having kept silent for a long time and my writing now have their explanation in both cases. For the silence came about through the despondency which my not receiving any letters from you produced, while the silence was broken by my exceedingly longing that, if no other association, at least this one might be shared with you. And besides, since a man was coming to you who is skilled at speaking, it seemed out of place that I too should not say something through him. I say, then, first that you do well in being a good man, and next that, as a praiser of the noble things you practice, you have Olympius, a man both a formidable orator and a consummate philosopher, one who aids souls no less than bodies by means of his remedies. And such a man as a praiser is, to a sober-minded man, more precious than the riches of Gyges. For I myself indeed have no riches, but I have the vote of approval from this man, and I think that in this respect I am more blessed than those who possess much gold. If, therefore, you give any thought concerning us, both pardon a lover and lend a hand. And whatever good you may do, make the deed known by a letter; for the favor is not the lesser in the second instance.

Δεωνᾷ. (355) 15 Τό τε πολὺν σιγῆσαι χρόνον καὶ τὸ νῦν ἐπιστε[ελαι λόγον ἐστὶν ἔχον ἀμφότερα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὑπ’ ἀθυμίας ἐγίνετο, ἣν τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν σου γράμματα ἐποίει, τὴν σιγὴν δὲ ἔλυε τὸ λίαν ἐπι- θυμεῖν <εἰ μὴ> ἄλλην, ταύτην γέ σοι συγγενέσθαι τὴν συν- ουσίαν· πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀνδρὸς ὡς ὑμᾶς ἰόντος ἐπισταμένου λέγειν μὴ καὶ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τι δι’ αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀτόπων ἐδόκει. λέγω τοίνυν ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν καλῶς ποιεῖς ἀγαθὸς ὤν, ἔπειθ’ ὡς ὧν ἐπιτηδεύεις καλῶν ἐπαινέτην ἔχεις Ὀλύμπιον, ἄνδρα καὶ ῥήτορα δεινὸν καὶ φιλόσοφον ἄκρον βοηθοῦντα ψυχαῖς οὐ μεῖον ἡ σώμασιν ἀπὸ τῶν φαρμάκων. ἀνὴρ δὲ τοιοῦτος ἐπαινέτης ἀνδρὶ σώφρονι τιμιώτερον τῶν Γύγου χρημάτων. ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτῷ μοι χρήματα μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν, ἡ δὲ παρὰ τοῦδε ψῆφος, καὶ οἶμαι κατὰ τοῦτο τῶν πολυχρύσων εὐδαιμονέστε- ρος εἶναι. ἢν οὖν τι φροντίζῃς περὶ ἡμῶν, σύγγνωθί τε ἐραστῇ καὶ συλλαβοῦ. καὶ ὅ τι ἂν εὖ ποιήσῃς, δήλωσον γράμ- μασι τὸ ἔργον· ὡς οὐχ ἥττων ἡ χάρις ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ.