Letter 762: At last you have taken hold of what is truly yours and become the overseer of work suited to your nature.
Σελεύκῳ. (362)
Μόλις ἥψω τῶν σαυτοῦ καὶ γέγονας ἐπιστάτης τῶν τῇ
σῇ πρεπόντων φύσει. πρότερον δὲ ἄρα Ἡρακλῆς ταλασίας
ἠναγκάζου φροντίζειν κοὶ λύειν στάσεις ἀνθρώπων, οἶς ἡδέως
ἂν προσέθηκας πολέμους.
ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνα μὲν εὖ ποιοῦντα οὄχε-
ται, τὰ δὲ νῦν βωμοὶ καὶ νεῴ καὶ τεμένη καὶ ἀγάλματα κο-
σμούμενα μὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ, κοσμοῦντα δὲ σὲ καὶ γένος.
ἔχων
δὴ τηλικούτους συμμάχους κωφὰ μὲν ἡγοῦ τὰ τῶν ἀνοσίων
βέλη, κάθιζε δὲ κλάοντας τοὺς καταγελάσαντας πολὺν δὴ χρό-
νον τῶν βελτιόνων. ὀφείλεις δὲ χάριν τοῖς θεοῖς πατὴρ γε-
γονώς. ἣν ἀποδοῦναί σε χρὴ βοηθοῦντα τῶν ἱερῶν τοῖς κει-
μένοις.
ταυτὶ μὲν οὖν οἶδ᾿ ὅτι ποιήσεις, ὥστ’ εἶναι πολὺ
τὰ διὰ σοῦ τῶν ἑτέρωθι καλλίω· τὰ δ’ ἡμέτερα, μικροῦ με
τοῦ θέρους ἡ κεφαλὴ κατηνάγκασεν αὐξηθέντος τοῦ κακοῦ
χρησμῷ κιβδήλῳ.
νοσῶν δὴ τὸ σῶμα πῶς ἂν δυναίμην
οἶος πρὶν εἶναι περὶ τοὺς λόγους, ὃς οὐδὲν οὔτε λέγειν οὔτ
ἀκούειν βούλομαι πλὴν περὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς;
ὕμνηται μὲν
οὖν ὁ γενναῖός μοι βασιλεύς, βραχεῖ δέ τινι μάλα λόγῳ· φασὶ
δὲ αὐτὸν εἶναι καλόν, ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ οὐ πείθομαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο
κρύψας ἔχω ἢν οὗν παρέλθῃ τὸ νέφος καὶ τῆς Αἴτνης ἀπ-
αλλαγῶ καὶ κομίσωμαί τινας δυνάμεις, καὶ γράψω τι τοῦ πέμ-
πειν ἄξιον, ὃ πρὸ ὑμῶν ληψόμενος οὐκ ἔσται.
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