Letter 571: Our entire family both gains good things and escapes bad ones through you.
Βαρβατίωνι. (357)
Ἅπαν ἡμῶν τὸ γένος διὰ σοῦ καὶ κτᾶταί τι χρηστὸν
καὶ διαφεύγει κακόν. Ἰάμβλιχος δὲ ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ γένει κατὰ
Πίνδαρον ἀστὴρ ἀρίζηλος, σώφρων, ἐπιεικής, εἰδὼς αἰδεῖ-
σθαι, λόγων ἐπιθυμητής, χρημάτων κρείττων, οὐκ εἰδώς, ἢν
εὖ πάθῃ, τῆς μνήμης ἐκβαλεῖν τὴν χάριν· ὥστε, εἰ πάντα
αὐτῷ γένοιο, περὶ τὸν ἄριστον ἡμῶν ἔσῃ πρόθυμος.
καὶ
ταῦτα ἐγὼ γράφω νῦν, οὐχ ὅπως ἄρξῃ τὸν νεανίσκον ὠφελεῖν,
πάλαι γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἀλλ’ ὅπως ὧν τε ἤρξω πάλαι,
τούτοις ἐμμείνῃς καὶ ἐμοὶ συνησθῇς, ὅτι μοι τούτου φρον-
τίς, οὐ μὴ φροντίζων ἠδίκουν ἄν.
Related Letters
I have long considered you a good man, based on Themistocles's friendship with you -- that man would never have...
People find it puzzling that you never shy away from doing things on my behalf, yet will not add a letter -- the...
...while others track scent-trails with the keen noses of their hounds.
Since you do take my jokes kindly, I send you the rest. My prelude is from Homer. Come now and change your theme, And sing of the inner adornment.
Who could blame a man for fleeing fire?