Letter 428: If I had written before saying I have little influence with Dionysius, you might not have believed me -- and that is...
Σιλανῷ. (355)
Πρότερον μέν σοι γράφων ὡς οὐ πολλή μοι παρὰ τῷ
Διονυσίῳ δύναμις, ἴσως ἂν ἠπιστούμην καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ
ἔγραφον, νῦν δὲ καιρὸς ἂν εἴη τὴν ἀσθένειαν ὁμολογεῖν. Κλη-
μάτιος γὰρ ὡς οὐ ψεύδομαι πείσει.
ἴσθι τοίνυν ὡς οὔτε
τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ βελτίω πεποίηκα τῶν τε φίλων ὅσοι δι’ ἡμῶν
ἐβουλήθησάν του τυχεῖν, ἔγνωσαν οὐχ ἣν ἐχρῆν, ἐλθόντες δὲ
ἑτέραν· ὡς ἑνὸς μετέχω μόνου τοῦ προσειπεῖν.
εἰ μὲν οὖν
οὔσης μοι δυνάμεως οὐκ ἀπέλαυες, ἠδίκουν ἄν· ἀδυνατοῦντι
δὲ συγγνώμην ἔχειν. ὧν δ’ ἐγὼ κύριος, καὶ σύ. καὶ τὴν μὲν
ἐν λαμπροτέρῳ σχήματι πορείαν ἄφες, οὐ γὰρ τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς
ἄξιον τὰ τοιαῦτα θηρεύειν, ἐλθὼν δὲ ὅπως ἂν ἐξῇ, δοκίμαζέ
μου τὴν γνώμην, εἴγε μέμνηται τῶν πτερῶν.
πτερὰ δὲ ἐν-
ταῦθα πλείω καὶ οἱ τὰ σὰ θαυμασόμενοι πλῆθος. δεῖ δὲ καὶ
νόμων διδασκάλου τοῖς νέοις. σὲ δὲ τοῦτο ἀναμένει κεκωλυ-
κότων ἡμῶν ἕτερον ἐπιστῆναι τῷ πράγματι.
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