Letter 529: The moment I heard that Rome had claimed you, I counted you fortunate.
Ὀλυμπίῳ. (356)
Εὖθύς ἀκούσας σε τῆς Ῥώμης εἰλῆφθαι τούτου σε εὐδαι-
μόνιζον γνοὺς δὲ ὅτι σοι καὶ δόξα βελτίων εἴη καὶ δύναμις
αὐτόθι, μᾶλλον ἐκάλουν εὐδαίμονα. δέδοικα μέντοι μὴ τοῦτο
τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀποστερήσῃ τῶν ἑαυτῆς τὸ τοῖς ἐγγόνοις εἶναι
παρ’ ἄλλοις εὐδοκιμεῖν.
ἐγὼ δέ σε πανταχοῦ μὲν ἐπαίνων
βουλοίμην ἂν τυγχάνειν, οὐ μέντοι τούτῳ τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν
ἀδικεῖν, ἣ δεῖται μέν σου δι’ ἡμῶν ἥκειν αὑτῇ χαίρουσα μὲν
ἐφ’ οἷς ἐκτήσω λόγοις, ἐρῶσα δὲ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ὧν ἐκτήσω
λόγων. μέμφεται δὲ ἐμοὶ πρὸ σοῦ· σὲ γὰρ οἴονται τοῖς ἐμοῖς
ἕπεσθαι νεύμασι καὶ τοῦ μήπω σε ἥκειν ἐμὲ τὸν οὐ λέγοντα
αἰτιῶνται.
Ῥώμη μὲν οὖν ἔστω τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἐν τῇ
γῇ, σὲ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ποιείτω καὶ φίλων ἐπιλήσμονα καὶ γένους,
ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ ὁμοίοις ἡμῖν ἐπάνιθι καὶ συνεπιμελοῦ ποιμνίων
ἥδιον τὸ μετ’ ἐμοῦ τούτων ἄρχειν ἢ τὸ πόλεων ἡγούμενος.
εἰ δ’ ἥττων ἀκοὴ τῆς σῆς φωνῆς, σύ τοι ποιήσεις αὐτὴν
κρείττω τῇ σῇ φωνῇ
βιβλίοις δὲ οἷς τε ἔπεμψας ἥσθη,
οἷς τε συλλέγειν ἔφης. ἥξει δέ σοι καὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν τοῦ θέρους
ἃ κελεύεις.
Related Letters
(The people of Nazianzus had in some way incurred the loss of civic rights; and the Order for the forfeiture of the title of City had been signed by Olympius. This led to something like a revolt on the part of a certain number of the younger citizens: and this Olympius determined to punish by the total destruction of the place. S.
It was good of you to acquit me of blame in the very act of accusing me.
Again I write when I ought to come: but I gain confidence to do so from yourself, O Umpire of spiritual matters (to put the first thing first), and Corrector of the Commonweal — and both by Divine Providence: who have also received as the reward of your piety that your affairs would prosper to your mind, and that you alone should find attainable...
As all the fruits of the season come to us in their proper time, flowers in spring, grain in summer, and apples in autumn, so the fruit for winter is talk. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson.
When I read the letter where you described your illness, I was alarmed at first.