Letter 812: Consider this an embassy from the Muses themselves, who want Asteius, one of their dancers, to remain with them a...
Ἀταρβίῳ. (363)
Τῶν Μουσῶν νόμισον ταύτην εἶναι τὴν πρεσβείαν βου-
λομένων αὑταῖς Ἀστεῖον, ἕνα τῶν χορευτῶν, ἔτι πλείω προσ-
διατρίψαι χρόνον. ὁ δὲ Ἀστεῖος οὗτος ἧκε μὲν ὡς οὐχ ἁψό-
μενος λόγων, ὁρῶν δὲ ἄλλους κτωμένους ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ κτή-
ματος καὶ μέρος λαβὼν πένθος ποιεῖται τὸ μὴ καὶ ἄλλα
λαβεῖν.
ἀλλ’ ἢν μὲν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ Μαρκιανὸς ἀπηλλαγμέ-
νος ᾖ πραγμάτων, ὑπάρξει τούτῳ μένειν ἐφ’ ὧν ἐστι καὶ νῦν·
ἢν δὲ ἐκεῖνόν τις ἕλκη, καὶ τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος εὐθέως οὐκ ἀγνοῶν
μὲν τὴν βλάβην, τοῦ γήρως δὲ ἀναγκάζοντος.
σὸν οὖν, ὦ
γενναῖε, γενέσθω τὸν μὲν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ διατηρῆσαι, τῷ δὲ συν-
αγωνίσασθαι πρὸς τὴν τέχνην· ὡς ὧν νῦν εὖ ποιεῖς τοὺς
ἀρχομένους οὐχ ἧττον, εἰ διὰ σὲ ῥήτωρ ἔσται τις αὐτῶν.
εἴσονται δὲ πάντες, ὃ δώσεις, ἐμοῦ τε οὐ σιγῶντος καὶ
τούτου περὶ τῆς χάριτος γράφοντος.
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