Letter 539: My cousin established the games in honor of Olympian Zeus some time ago.
Ἀντιόχῳ. (356/57)
Τῷ μὲν Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ πάλαι τὸν ἀγῶνα τέθεικεν οὑμὸς
ἀνεψιός, νῦν δὲ εἰς λειτουργίαν εἰσῆλθεν, ἧς οὐκ ὀλίγα μὶν
ᾔδει, τὸ δὲ ἐν πλείστῃ σπουδῇ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀγωνίσματα
πρὸς τὰ θηρία.
δεῖ δὲ θηρίων ἡμῖν οὐ νυσταζόντων καὶ
θαρρεῖν παρεχόντων τοῖς ἀπαντῶσιν, ἀλλ’ ἐφ᾿ ἃ διήσει πολλῆς
σοφίας τῷ γε οὐχ ἁλωσομένῳ. τοιαύτας δὲ ὑμῖν τὰ ὄρη
τρέφει τὰς ἄρκτους δεινὰς ἐπινοῆσαι καὶ ἑλεῖν. τὸ δὲ τὰς δει-
νὰς ἑλεῖν διαφυγεῖν τὴν χάριν ἔχει τῷ θεάτρῳ. οὔσης δὲ ἡμῖν
εὐθήρου τῆς χώρας εἰσί σοι θηραταὶ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐπιστήμονες,
οἷς ἡγοῦμαι τέρπεσθαι καὶ Ἄρτεμιν.
ποίησον δὴ ἡμῖν
λαμπρὰν τὴν λειτουργίαν ἄρκτων χαλεπότητι καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ
τοὺς μὲν παρ’ ὑμῖν γεωργοὺς ἀπάλλαττε φόβου, τοῖς δὲ παρ’
ἡμῖν κυνηγέταις ἔπαγε φόβον καὶ γίγνου πρόθυμος εἰς τοὺς
οἰκείους.
ἔπρεπε δὲ σοὶ μὲν παρ’ ἐμοῦ περὶ τούτων ἐλθεῖν
ἐπιστολὴν, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἀδελφήν σου τὴν ἀγαθὴν παρὰ τῆς
ἀρίστης Βασσιανῆς.
Related Letters
I mourn for the Church that is deprived of the guidance of such a shepherd. But I have so much the more ground for congratulating you on being worthy of the privilege of enjoying, at such a moment, the society of one who is fighting such a good fight in the cause of the truth, and I am sure that you, who nobly support and stimulate his zeal, wil...
I cannot accuse you of carelessness and inattention, because, when an opportunity of writing occurred, you said nothing. For I count the greeting which you have sent me in your own honoured hand worth many letters. In return I salute you, and beg you earnestly to give heed to the salvation of your soul, disciplining all the lusts of the flesh by...
My sins have prevented me from carrying out the wish to meet you, which I have long entertained. Let me apologise by letter for my absence, and beseech you not to omit to remember me in your prayers, that, if I live, I may be permitted to enjoy your society. If not, by the aid of your prayers may I quit this world with good hope.
The indispositions of the body originate from excess.
Your brother and I had decided to hand the man over to your people and send him to you.