4

imploring to petition her. But nevertheless they did not persuade him. For he seemed to say something just, as in: "1What would such a one as he become, having obtained a letter from you?"2 Therefore, may you be the same sort of person as before, and may I be praised again for my friendship, and may the young man not fail in his hope for us, but may those who seem to be able to do great things know that it is right to be justly defeated. 9 To Hieronymus I thought my sister's wedding had escaped notice, and was not known even to all the neighbors of the house, much less to you, whom I thought was still settled by the Nile. But it seems that nothing that pertains to luxury escapes you, but as soon as something is done, the scent of the proceedings strikes you from afar, and perhaps you somehow surpass the Homeric Zeus in your love for libation and the savor of fat curling around the smoke. The Nile has disposed you this way, and the blessed men there, after whom, living in Elousa, you have a sharper sense if smoke is rising anywhere on earth. And I was on the verge of treating your boy badly, because he did not let you write the letter at length. But by bringing gifts from you he changed my view, and I know not how he dissolved my anger. And before long I shall repay you for these things; for either a little daughter has been born to you or will be. 10 To Philip the brother The season that was grievous because of your silence has indeed come to an end and has ceased, and I, though wishing to be proud in the hope of a letter from you, become myself again and recall the past; for insofar as it depends on your silence, the whole year is winter for us. Rather, you make the actual winter even more longed for by us, inasmuch as in that season it brings comfort to attribute the silence to the necessity of the season, but in the summer it is left for us to weep that you have no regard for your lovers; for the absence of necessity, while you are silent again, gives us the impression of being scorned. But, O all you Loves, bring him to an experience of our feelings, so that he may at last perceive how terrible it was for a lover to be overlooked. 11 To Zacharias Release us from your silence along with the winter; for both are burdensome. But if it were possible to hear you speaking always, even winter would not distress us so much. But you have sent your spring to us in a whole stream. For with me, this surpasses the pleasure of springtime, even if the light is new then, even if the swallows then fill our ears with their song, hymning the season as it seems to me, and the roses emerging from the bud provide a certain intermediate and blended sight and bring to memory ancient tales, how Adonis was beautiful and Aphrodite sought him, and she who bore the Loves was taught I know not how to love, and failing to win her beloved, she strikes her foot and brings forth the rose. But for us who love, these things are considered small compared to your voice. 12 To Zacharias Behold, here is an occasion for you again, demanding your inclination toward those in need, and I am again the one giving the opportunity, so that from both sides I know well that you will acknowledge a favor, because you have found a way to do good and because this has come to you through me. For you truly rejoice in doing good more than others do in receiving it, and you would even call the one who gave the opportunity a benefactor. So, as one who will give a favor to you rather than receive one, I am thus proud. "1But what is the matter?"2 I know well that you ask with a laugh. A certain Alexander among us makes his trade in timber, and from this he has his living. And as is usual for such men, he makes a certain partner in the business—Euthymius is his name—so that one might send the goods, and the other, remaining, might receive them, and thus they conduct their trade. This man, then, lives in the land of the Rhodians among you, O Zeus, and yet he says he is not being treated justly. And the one doing the wrong you might call in the language of the Romans a "concussor"; for he legislates things not customary and devises an opportunity for newer profit, as if you were not ruling Rhodes. But these things happened, as is likely, without your knowledge. Therefore, let him cease, now that you have learned of it, so that I may be grateful to you, and he who has received justice may be grateful to me, by relating how he was wronged and how it has ceased. 13 To Alypius and Stephanus, grammarians, and Hierius the Roman. For Solon the lawgiver, since on account of his laws the city was well

4

δεῖσθαι πρὸς ταύτην παρακαλούντων. ἀλλ' ὅμως τοῦτον οὐκ ἔπειθον. ἐδόκει γάρ τι καὶ δίκαιον λέγειν ὡς "1ὁ καθ' αὑτὸν τοιοῦτος τίς ἂν γένοιτο γραμμάτων τυχὼν παρὰ σοῦ;"2 οὐκοῦν γένοιο μὲν αὐτὸς ὁποῖος καὶ πρότερον, ἐπαινοίμην δὲ πάλιν τῆς φιλίας ἐγώ, μὴ διαμάρτοι δὲ τῆς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐλπίδος ὁ νέος, ἀλλὰ γνόντων οἱ τὰ μεγάλα δύνασθαι δοκοῦντες ὡς ἄρα τῶν δικαίων ἐστὶν εἰκότως ἡττᾶσθαι. 9 Ἱερωνύμωι Ἐγὼ μὲν τῆς ἀδελφῆς λανθάνειν ᾤμην τὸν γάμον, οὐδὲ τοῖς προσοικοῦσι τὴν οἰκίαν πᾶσιν ἐγνῶσθαι, μή τί γέ σοι, ὃν ᾤμην ἔτι παρὰ τῷ Νείλῳ καθῆσθαι. σὲ δὲ λανθάνειν ἔοικε τῶν εἰς τρυφὴν ἡκόντων οὐδέν, ἀλλ' ἅμα τέ τι δρᾶται καί σε προσβάλλει πόρρωθεν ἡ τῶν ἐπιτελουμένων ὀσμή, καί που τάχα τὸν Ὁμηρικὸν ∆ία νικᾷς, λοιβῆς καὶ κνίσσης ἐρῶν ἑλισσομένης περὶ καπνῷ. ταῦτά σε Νεῖλος διέθηκε καὶ οἱ παρ' ἐκεῖνον εὐδαίμονες ἄνθρω ποι, μεθ' οὓς τὴν Ἐλοῦσαν οἰκῶν ὀξυτέραν ἔχεις τὴν αἴσθησιν, εἴ που δὴ γῆς καπνὸς ἀναδίδοται. τὸν δὲ σὸν παῖδα μικροῦ δεῖν ὥρμησα διαθεῖναι κακῶς, ὅτι μὴ γράφειν εἰς πλάτος ἀφῆκέ σε τὴν ἐπιστολήν. ἀλλὰ παρὰ σοῦ δῶρα προσάγων μετέβαλέ τε τῇ θέᾳ καὶ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως μοι διέλυσε τὸν θυμόν. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δέ σε τούτων ἀμείψομαι· ἢ γὰρ γέγονέ σοι θυγάτριον ἢ γενήσεται. 10 Φιλίππωι ἀδελφῶι Ἡ μὲν λυποῦσα διὰ τὴν σιγὴν ὥρα καὶ δὴ πέρας ἔχει καὶ πέπαυται, ἐγὼ δὲ καί τοι μέγα φρονεῖν ἐθέλων ἐλπίδι γραμμάτων τῶν παρὰ σοῦ, ἐμαυτοῦ τε γίνομαι καὶ μνήμην λαμβάνω τῶν παρελθόντων· ὅσον γὰρ τοὐπὶ σοὶ σιωπῶντι τὸ πᾶν ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἔτος χειμών. μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ποθεινότερον ἡμῖν τὸν ὄντως χειμῶνα ποιεῖς, ὅσον ἐν ἐκείνῳ μὲν φέρει παραμυθίαν τὸ τὴν σιγὴν ἀναφέρειν τῇ τῆς ὥρας ἀνάγκῃ, τοῦ δὲ θέρους λείπεται ἡμῖν δακρύειν ὅτι μηδεὶς παρὰ σοὶ λόγος τῶν ἐραστῶν· τὸ γὰρ ἀπεῖναι μὲν τὴν ἀνάγκην, σὲ δὲ πάλιν σιγᾶν, ἡμῖν τοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι παρίστησι δόξαν. ἀλλ' ὦ πάντες Ἔρωτες, εἰς πεῖραν ἄγετε τοῦτον τῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅπως αἴσθησιν λάβῃ ποτέ, δεινὸν ὅσον ὑπῆρχεν ἐραστὴς παρορώμενος. 11 Ζαχαρίαι Λῦσον ἡμῖν μετὰ τοῦ χειμῶνος τὴν σιωπήν· ἀμφότερα μὲν γὰρ ἐπαχθῆ· εἰ δὲ ἦν διὰ παντὸς σοῦ λαλοῦντος ἀκούειν, καὶ χειμὼν ἂν ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἐλύ πει τοσοῦτον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὅλῳ ῥεύματι τὴν σὴν ἡμῖν ἐπάφες πηγήν. νικᾷ γὰρ αὕτη παρ' ἐμοὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἔαρος ἡδονήν, εἰ καὶ νέον ἐν τούτῳ τὸ φῶς, εἰ καὶ χελιδόνες ἐν τούτῳ πληροῦσι τὰς ἀκοὰς τῆς ᾠδῆς, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ὑμνοῦσαι τὴν ὥραν, καὶ τὰ ῥόδα τῆς κάλυκος ἀναδύντα μέσην τινὰ καὶ κεκραμένην παρέχει τὴν θέαν καὶ εἰς μνήμην ἄγει διηγημάτων ἀρχαίων, ὡς ἦν Ἄδωνις καλὸς καὶ Ἀφροδίτη τοῦτον ἐζήτει, καὶ ἡ τεκοῦσα τοὺς Ἔρωτας οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἐρᾶν ἐπαιδεύετο, τῶν δὲ παιδικῶν ἀποτυχοῦσα πλήττεταί τε τὸν πόδα καὶ φέρει τὸ ῥόδον. ἀλλ' ἡμῶν ἐρώντων ὡς πρὸς τὴν σὴν φωνὴν μικρὰ ταῦτα νομίζεται. 12 Ζαχαρίαι Ἰδού σοι καιρὸς πάλιν ἀπαιτῶν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους ῥοπήν, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀφορμὴν διδοὺς πάλιν ἐγώ, ὥστε διχόθεν εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι χάριν ὁμολογήσεις, ὅτιπερ εὖ ποιεῖν εὗρες καὶ ὅτι σοι τοῦτο γέγονε δι' ἐμέ. χαίρεις γὰρ ὄντως εὖ ποιῶν ἢ πάσχοντες ἕτεροι, καὶ τὸν τὴν ἀφορμὴν δεδωκότα κἂν εὐεργέτην προσείποις. ὡς τοίνυν σοι χάριν δώσων μᾶλλον ἢ ληψόμενος οὕτω σεμνύ νομαι. "1ἀλλὰ τί τὸ πρᾶγμα;"2 γελῶν εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι πυνθάνῃ. Ἀλέξανδρός τις παρ' ἡμῖν ἐπὶ ξύλοις τὴν ἐμπορίαν ποιεῖται, κἀντεῦθεν ἔχει τὸν βίον. οἷα δὲ εἰκὸς τοὺς τοιούτους, κοινωνόν τινα ποιεῖται τοῦ πράγματοςΕὐθύμιος αὐτῷ τοὔνομαὅπως ὁ μὲν πέμποι τὰ δοκοῦντα, ὁ δὲ μένων δέχοιτο, καὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν οὕτω ποιοῦνται. οὗτος τοίνυν τὴν τῶν Ῥοδίων οἰκεῖ παρ' ὑμῖν, ὦ Ζεῦ, καὶ ὅμως φησὶ μὴ δίκαια πάσχειν. τὸν δὲ ἀδικοῦντα Ῥωμαίων γλώσσῃ κογκούσσωρα εἴποις· νομοθετεῖ γὰρ μὴ εἰωθότα καὶ καινοτέρου κέρδους ἀφορμὴν μηχανᾶται, ὥσπερ οὐχ ὑμῶν ἀρχόντων τῆς Ῥόδου. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς εἰκὸς ὑμῶν οὐκ εἰδότων. οὐκοῦν παυέσθω μαθόντων, ὅπως ἐγὼ μὲν σοὶ χάριν εἰδείην, ὁ δὲ τυχὼν τῶν δικαίων ἐμοί, διηγούμενος ὡς ἠδικεῖτο καὶ πέπαυται. 13 Ἀλυπίωι καὶ Στεφάνωι γραμματικοῖς καὶ Ἱερίωι Ῥωμαϊκῶι Σόλωνι τῷ νομοθέτῃ ἐπειδὴ νόμων ἕνεκα καλῶς ἔχειν ἡ πόλις