Letter 795: You were good to write, but I was unlucky not to receive the letters — and the scoundrels who mishandled the gift...
Κωνσταντίῳ. (363)
Σὺ μὲν ἀγαθὸς ἐπιστείλας, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀτυχὴς οὐ λαβών,
προδόται δὲ ἀμφοῖν οἱ κακοὶ περὶ τὸ δῶρον. ἀλλ’ ἔμοιγε οὐ
μικρὸν εἰς εὐθυμίαν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν γενομένων γραμμάτων,
εἰ καὶ μὴ μέχρι τῶν ἐμῶν προῆλθε χειρῶν
πράττεις δὲ
οὐδὲν καινόν, εἰ ᾧ παρὼν ἔχαιρες, τούτῳ γράφεις ἀπών.
ἀναμιμνήσκου γάρ, ὅπως ἑσπέρας ἡδίων ἐγίγνου προσιόντος
ἐμοῦ καὶ προῆγες τοὺς λόγους εἰς μέσας νύκτας, ἐν οἷς ἐθαύ-
μαζον οὐχ ἧττον τῶν φρενῶν τὴν εὐγλωττίαν ἓν αἰτιώμενος
μόνου, ὅτι δὴ φύσιν Ἑρμῇ προσήκουσαν ἐνεβίβασας εἰς στρα-
τιώτου βίον.
καλῶν δὲ ὄντων κοὶ τούτων καὶ ὧν ἐφρόν-
τίσας, ἐν οἷ; προὔκειτο βουλή, πῶς ἂν 'Υπερέχιος
τὸ δίκτυον, ἔτι μεῖζον ἦν τὸ φερόμενον ἀγνοίᾳ ἀγνοίᾳ πρὸς
ὄρυγμα χαλεπώτατον μονονοὺ τὴν χεῖρα ἐρείσαντα πρὸς τὸ
στῆθος ἀνασχεῖν.
ἦν δὲ τὸ ὄρυγμα γόητας ἡγεῖτο τοὺς ἐν
τοῖς τρίβωσιν ἐκεῖνος ὃς καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἡγεῖτο εἶναι φλήνα-
φον. εἶδες οὖν ὡς, εἰ με ἴδοι, χαλεπὸς εὐθὺ; ἔσται, καἰ
ἔδεισας μὴ γένηταί τι τῶν ἀπ’ ὀργῆς.
καὶ τοῦτο μὶν οὐ
θαυμαστόν, εἰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰδὼς ταῦτα οὐκ ἠγνόησας·
ἐκεῖνο δὲ τὸ κελεῦσαί με ἀπελθεῖν καὶ πιστεῦσαί τι τῶν ἀπορ-
ῥήτων. ὃ διατελῶ μεμνημένος καὶ δι’ σωτῆρά σε γράφομαι
τούς τε ἄλλους Λάσκων οἷα εὐεργέτημαι καὶ οὐδὲ τὸν βασι-
λέα τῆς χάριτος ταύτης ἀφιεὶς ἀνήκοον.
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