Letter 468: That you did not receive the letter Clematios carried — I cannot believe it.
Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (355/56)
Μὴ λαβεῖν μέν σε τὰ γράμματα ἃ Κλημάτιος ἐκόμιζεν
οὐκ ἂν πεισθείην· τοῦ δὲ μηδὲν ἡμῖν ἀντεπιστεnαι τὴν αἰτίαν
ζητῶν οὐχ ὁρῶ, πλὴν εἰ τὸ τῷ μνήματι προσκεῖσθαι πάντων
σε τῶν ἄλλων ἀφίστησι.
καίτοι καὶ κατ’ αὐτό γε τοῦτο χρῆν
σε ἐπιστεῖλαι διδάσκοντά με τὴν τῆς γυναικὸς ἀρετὴν νομί-
ζοντα μέρος εἶναι τῆς εἰς ἐκείνην τιμῆς τὸν λόγον. τῇ δὲ ἦν
ἂν μείζων ὁ κόσμος οὗτος ὧν νῦν ποιεῖς.
περὶ μὲν οὑν
τούτου πράξεις ὅ τι ἄν σοι φαίνηται βέλτιον, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἃ πλα-
σάμενοι νοσεῖν ἀνέστημεν ἐκεῖθεν, τῇδε νοσοῦμεν. ὥστε πρὸ
τοῦ μὲν ἐδυσχεραίνομεν τόπον τινά, νῦν δὲ αὐτὸ τὸ ζῆν.
πρὸς γὰρ τῷ περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν κακῷ νεφρῖτις ἡμᾶς πο-
λιορκεῖ νῦν μὲν σφοδρότερον ἐμβάλλουσα, νῦν δὲ ἡσυχαίτερον,
πάντως δέ τι λυποῦσα. καὶ πάντα μὲν πανταχόθεν εἰς τὴν
ἴασιν ἀγείρεται, κρατεῖ δὲ τὸ κακόν, καὶ ὁ νεφρὸς ἡμῖν ὅλμος,
φασίν, ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς. ἀλλ’ ὅμως πειρώμεθα μὴ σιγᾶν.
μη-
νυτὴς δέ σοι καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων ἔσται Μητέριος, ὃς τῇ
πατρίδι μὲν ἔχων ἀντιθεῖναι τὴν ἡμετέραν, τοῖς πολίταις δὲ
τοὺς ἐνταῦθα φίλους ὑπὸ σοῦ πάλιν εἰς Βιθυνίαν ἕλκεται
θαυμαστὸν αὑτοῦ πόθον ἐγκαταλιπὼν Σύροις. ἃ μήτ’ ἀγνοεῖν
ἔα τὸν πρεσβύτην μήτ’ εἰδότα ὀργίλον εἶναι.
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