Letter 788: I was amazed that you considered my not writing to you worthy of reproach, yet make nothing of the emperor's letter...
Ἱέρακι (362/63)
Ἐθαύμασα, ὅπως τὸ μὲν μὴ ἐπιστεῖλαί με πρὸς σὲ κατη-
γορίας ἄξιον ἡγήσω, τοῦ δ’ ἐλθεῖν σοι τὴν βασιλέως ἐπιστο-
λὴν οὐδὲν ἄγεις.
καίτοι δεικνὺς ἐγὼ τὰ πρὸς σοι
γεγραμμένα καὶ τοῦτο πεποιηκὼς τετράκις καὶ βοῶν ὡς δεινὰ
μὲν ἂν ἡ Τρῶάς, δεινὰ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος πάθοι καὶ μετὰ τούτων γε
ὁ θεός, εἰ μὴ Ἱέρακα τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ νόμου κοσμήσαιμεν, τοιαῦτα
νῦν μὲν πρὸς Ἐλπίδιον λέγων, νῦν δὲ πρὸς τὸν πάντα ἄριστοι
βασιλέα τὰ σοὶ πρέποντα συμπαρεσκεύασα γράμματα έλθεῖν.
λέγω δὲ οὐχ ὡς ἐμοὶ ταύτην δόντος τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν χάριν,
ἀλλὰ σὲ μὲν καὶ εὖ οἶδε καὶ τιμᾷ καὶ ἰδεῖν ἤθελεν· ἐν δ’ αὖ πλήθει
πραγμάτων καὶ ἐραστὴς ἀμβλύτερος εἰς ἐρώμενον ἂν εἴη. δεῖ
δὴ τοῦ γε κινοῦντος καὶ οὐκ ἐῶντος ἀμνημονεῖν, ὃ καὶ ἐμοὶ
πέπρακται.
συνέβη δέ πως τὸν σὲ καλοῦντα πρὸς ἡμᾶς
ὕστερον ὅτι κέκληκεν εἰπεῖν, ἡνίκα τὸ μὲν ἔργον ἐπῃνοῦμεν,
ἐπιστέλλειν δὲ οὐκ εἴχομεν. ἐπιτιμᾶν δὲ οὐκ ἦν, εἴ τις ὑπὲρ
γῆς ἁπάσης καὶ θαλάττης βουλευόμενος ὑπερέβη τι σμικρὸν
ἄκων.
δὸς δὴ Λαὶ αὐτός μοι συγγνώμην τῷ μὴ παραχρῆμα
ἀκούσαντι καὶ μὴ νόμιζε οὕτω σφόδρα παρ’ ἡμῖν τιμᾶσθαι
τὰς μελέτας, ὥσθ’ ἕνεκα αὐτῶν αἱρεῖσθαι τοὺς φίλους ἀδικεῖν.
εἰ γὰρ ἐλάττους ἦμεν ἢ ἀρκεῖν ἀμφοτέροις, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἠμε-
λήσαμεν Ἱέρακος τοῦ καλοῦ περὶ Μιλτιάδην ἢ Θεμιστοκλέα
ληροῦντες.
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