Letter 619: Hear what the bearer of this letter says: he accuses the negligent servants and asks you to correct what has gone wrong.
Μοδέστῳ. (361)
Ἀκούεις ἅ φησιν ὁ λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ὅτι κατηγορεῖ
μὲν τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐρρᾳθυμηκότων, σὲ δ’ ἀξιοῖ τὸ συμβὰν ἐπαν-
ὀρθῶσαι. πονηρὸς δὲ ἄρα δαίμων ἥψατο τοῦ πράγματος καὶ
φθονεῖ τῷ νεανίσκῳ τοῦ τέλους.
ἀλλ’, ὦ ’γαθέ, κατὰ τὸ
ἔπος καὶ πρὸς δαίμονά περ καὶ μηδενὶ δυσκόλῳ, πρὸς
Δῖός, εἴξῃς· ὡς ἡμῖν ἄνευ τῆς βλάβης οὐδὲ τὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης
οἷον φέρειν, εἰ δόξαιμεν ὕπνῳ τὸ πᾶι διεφθαρκέναι καὶ ταῦτα
λόγου πανταχῆ πεφοιτηκότος, ὡς ἔδωκας σαυτὸν τῇ περὶ
ταῦτα προνοίᾳ.
οἶμαι μὲν οὖν καὶ πόνον ἀπεῖναι τοῦ
πράγματος. οὐ γὰρ δευτέραν δεῖ χάριν λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῆς
δοθείσης ἐκπεσεῖν· ὃ γένοιτ’ ἂν ὀλίγοις κομιδῆ γράμμασιν.
εἰ δ’ οὖν καὶ τῶν Ὀλυμπιακῶν ἐπιπονώτερον ἄθλων, οὐ νῦν
πρῶτον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πονήσεις.
Related Letters
This Theodorus was born among us but is enrolled among you, having inherited his father's citizenship.
I was pleased that you urge me to do the very thing I urge you to do.
Many are those who announce that you are coming, but we do not yet see the deed.
The young men have come to collect on your promises, and you — noble in all else and incapable of falsehood — will...
Do well by the poets, for a debt of gratitude lodged with a poet is a fine treasure.