Letter 494: By admitting your wrong in not writing, you have stripped yourself of the right to accuse.
Σελεύκῳ. (356)
Ὁμολογῶν ἀδικεῖν τῷ μὴ γράψαι σαυτὸν ἀφῄρησαι τὸ
κατηγορεῖν ἔχειν. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη γίνομαι τῶν ἀμυνομένων, οὐ
τῶν ἠδικηκότων, εἴ γε τὸ ἀμύνεσθαι νόμῳ δέδοται.
πρὸς
δὲ καὶ οὕτω σε κινήσειν ἔμελλον εἰς τὰ γράμματα σιγήσας. εἰ
γὰρ ἔγραφον οὐκ ἐπιστέλλοντι, σὺ μὲν ἐτρύφας ἄν, ἐγὼ δὲ
ὧν ἐπεθύμουν ἠπόρουν νῦν δέ σε τῷ μὴ γράψαι κακῶν τῇ
ἐμαυτοῦ σιγῇ τὴν σὴν ἔπαυσα.
βεβαρβαρῶσθαι δὲ ὅταν
λέγης, εἰρωνεύῃ σαφῶς καὶ καταψεύδῃ τῆς Μηνὰς, ἣν δή
σοι παρεῖναι πείθομαι ὥσπερ οὖν τῶν τεττίγων οὐκ ἂν ὴνε-
σχόμην λεγόντων ὅτι ἄρα γένοιντο βάρβαροι, οὓς αὐτὸ τοῦτό
γε τέττιγας ἐποίησε τὸ θαυμάσαι μουσικήν, οὕτως οὐδὲ Σέ-
λευκος πείσει με φάσκων αὑτῷ χείρω γεγονέναι τὴν φωνήν.
σὺ γὰρ δὴ καὶ πονῶν εἰς λόγους καὶ μὴ πονῶν ἐπτέρωσαι
τοῖς λόγοις δῶρον, οἶμαι, τοῦτο παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἔχων ῥεῖν
ἀεὶ καὶ μετὰ κάλλους γε τοῦτο ποιεῖν. μαρτύριον δὲ τὰ γράμ-
ματα αὐτὰ πάση γεγραμμένα τέχνῃ.
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