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Nor is it sufficient to persuade oneself, if not others also. 11.8 Or would you, boxing in public, or being struck on the temple and striking others in the theaters, or bending and twisting in shameful ways, have said that you were sober-minded in soul? The reasoning is not of a sober-minded person; it is a frivolous thing to accept these things. 11.9 "If you should change, I will rejoice now"—said one of the Pythagorean philosophers, lamenting a fallen comrade—"but if not,"—he wrote,—"you are dead to me"; but I will not say this for your sake any longer; 20for a friend has become an enemy, but is a friend nonetheless20, as the tragedy says. 11.10 But I shall be distressed, for it is moderate to say this, if you neither see for yourself what is right, which belongs to the first class of praiseworthy people, nor will you follow another 20who speaks well20, which belongs to the second. 11.11 So much for the exhortation. And pardon me for grieving out of friendship, and for being equally inflamed on behalf of you and of the entire priestly order, and I will add, also of all Christians. 11.12 And if I must also pray with you or for you, may God help your weakness, who also gives life to the dead. 12.T TO NICOBULUS 12.1 You mock our Alypiana, as small and unworthy of your greatness, O you who are gigantic and indescribable and monstrous in both form and strength. 12.2 For now I know that soul is measured and virtue is weighed, and that stones are more precious than pearls and crows more venerable than nightingales. 12.3 You then, enjoy your size and your cubits and fall short in nothing of those sons of Aloeus. For you lead a horse and brandish a spear and wild beasts are your concern. 12.4 But for her it is no task, nor does it require much strength, to carry the shuttle and handle the distaff and sit at the loom; 20for that is the prize of women20. 12.5 And if you add this, that she is devoted to the earth through prayer and is always with God in the great movements of her mind, what to you here is height or the measures of the body? 12.6 See her timely silence, listen to her when she speaks, understand her unadorned beauty, her manly character for a woman, her domesticity, her love for her husband; and then you will say what the Laconian said: "Truly soul is not measured and the one who is outside must look to the man who is inside." 12.7 If you look at these things in this way, you will cease from jesting and making fun of her as small, and you will count your own marriage blessed. 13.T TO AMPHILOCHIUS 13.1 I praise the saying of Theognis, who, not praising the friendship that extends to drinking and pleasure, praises that which exists in deeds; what does he write? "Many become friends and companions beside the mixing-bowl, but in a serious matter, fewer." 13.2 We, then, have not shared mixing-bowls with one another, for we have not spent much time together (although we ought to have, more than anything, both for our own sakes, and for the sake of the friendship from our fathers), but we demand the goodwill that is shown in deeds. 13.3 A contest is near, and the greatest of contests; for our son Nicobulus is in unexpected troubles, having problems from those from whom one would least have thought. 13.4 For this reason we ask you to be present and to help us as quickly as possible, both to act as a judge with us and to be an advocate, if you should find us being wronged; but if not, not to be won over by the opposing side, having sold for a small gain the independence which we know has always been attested to you by all. 14.T TO CAESARIUS 14.1 Do a good turn both to yourself and to us, such as you will not often do, because opportunities for such a good turn do not often occur. 14.2 Offer a most just protection to my lords, my cousins, who are suffering sufficiently over an estate, which they bought as being suitable for a retreat and able to provide them with some support for their life; 14.3 but since they bought it, they have fallen into more difficulties, experiencing on the one hand the unreasonableness of the sellers, and on the other being cut off and plundered by their neighbors, so that it is a gain for them, having recovered the price they paid, along with what they have spent in addition, which is not a little, to be rid of the property. 14.4 If, then, it is your pleasure to take the matter upon yourself, so that you may have the matter in the best and safest way,

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οὐδ' ἀρκεῖ τὸ πείθειν ἑαυτόν, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους. 11.8 Ἢ καὶ πυκτεύων σύ γ' ἐν τῷ κοινῷ, ἢ καὶ παιόμενος ἐπὶ κόρρης καὶ παίων ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις, ἢ καὶ τὰ αἰσχρὰ λυγιζόμενος καὶ καμπτόμενος εἶπες ἂν ὡς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἐσωφρόνεις; Οὐ σωφρονοῦντος ὁ λογισμός· κοῦφον τὸ ταῦτα δέχεσθαι. 11.9 «Εἰ μὲν οὖν μεταβάλοιο, ἀλλὰ νῦν χαρήσομαι»-τῶν Πυθαγορικῶν ἔφη τις φιλοσόφων, ἑταῖρον ἐκπεπτωκότα θρηνῶν, -«εἰ δὲ μή, -ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἔγραψε, -τέθνηκάς μοι»· ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐρῶ σὴν χάριν ἔτι· 20φίλος γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἐγένετ', ἀλλ' ὅμως φίλος20, ἡ τραγῳδία φησίν. 11.10 Ἀνιάσομαι δέ, τοῦτο γὰρ εἰπεῖν μέτριον, εἰ μήτ' αὐτὸς συνορᾷς τὸ δέον, ὃ τῆς πρώτης ἐστὶ τῶν ἐπαινετῶν μερίδος, μήτ' ἄλλῳ 20εὖ εἰπόντι20 κατακολουθήσεις, ὃ τῆς δευτέρας. 11.11 Τοσαῦτα τὰ τῆς παραινέσεως. Καί μοι σύγγνωθι διὰ φιλίαν ἀλγοῦντι, καὶ ὁμοίως ὑπέρ τε σοῦ καὶ παντὸς τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ τάγματος φλεγομένῳ, προσθήσω δ' ὅτι καὶ πάντων Χριστιανῶν. 11.12 Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ συνεύξασθαί σοι ἢ ὑπερεύξασθαι, Θεὸς βοηθήσαι σου τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, ὁ καὶ τεθνηκότας ζωοποιῶν. 12.Τ ΝΙΚΟΒΟΥΛΩΙ 12.1 Σκώπτεις τὴν Ἀλυπιανὴν ἡμῖν, ὡς μικρὰν καὶ τῆς σῆς μεγαλειότητος ἀναξίαν, ὦ γιγαντιαῖε σὺ καὶ ἀμύθητε καὶ πελώριε τό τ' εἶδος καὶ τὴν ἀλκήν. 12.2 Νῦν γὰρ ἔγνων ὅτι ψυχὴ μετρεῖται καὶ ἀρετὴ ταλαντεύεται καὶ τιμιώτεραι τῶν μαργάρων αἱ πέτραι καὶ κόρακες ἀηδόνων αἰδεσιμώτεροι. 12.3 Σὺ μὲν οὖν ἀπόλαυε τοῦ μεγέθους καὶ τῶν πηχῶν καὶ μηδὲν λείπου τῶν Ἀλωάδων ἐκείνων. Ἵππον γὰρ ἄγεις καὶ τινάσσεις αἰχμὴν καὶ θῆρές σοι μέλουσι. 12.4 Τῇ δ' οὐδὲν ἔργον, οὐδὲ πολλῆς τῆς ἰσχύος κερκίδα φέρειν καὶ ἡλακάτην μεταχειρίζεσθαι καὶ ἱστῷ προσκαθέζεσθαι· 20τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ γυναικῶν20. 12.5 Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο προσθείης, ὅτι τῇ γῇ προσπέφυκε δι' εὐχὴν καὶ Θεῷ σύνεστιν ἀεὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις τοῦ νοῦ κινήμασι, τί σοι ἐνταῦθα τὸ ὕψος ἢ τὰ μέτρα τοῦ σώματος; 12.6 Ἰδὲ καίριον σιωπήν, φθεγγομένης ἄκουσον, τὸ ἀκαλ λώπιστον κατανόησον, τὸ ὡς γυναιξὶν ἀνδρικόν, τὴν οἰκωφελίαν, τὴν φιλανδρίαν· καὶ τότε φήσεις τὸ τοῦ Λάκωνος· «Ὄντως οὐ μετρεῖται ψυχὴ καὶ δεῖ τὸν ἐκτὸς ἐόντα πρὸς τὸν ἐντὸς βλέπειν ἄνθρωπον». 12.7 Ἂν οὕτω ταῦτα σκοπῇς, παύσῃ τοῦ παίζειν καὶ καταπαίζειν αὐτῆς ὡς μικρᾶς, καὶ σαυτοῦ μακαρίσεις τὴν συζυγίαν. 13.Τ ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩΙ 13.1 Ἐπαινῶ τὸ Θεόγνιδος, ὃς τὴν μέχρι πότων καὶ τοῦ ἡδέος φιλίαν οὐκ ἐπαινῶν, ἐπαινεῖ τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμά των· τί γράφων; Πολλοὶ πὰρ κρητῆρι φίλοι γίνονται ἑταῖροι, ἐν δὲ σπουδαίῳ πρήγματι, παυρότεροι. 13.2 Ἡμεῖς τοίνυν κρατήρων μὲν ἀλλήλοις οὐ κεκοινωνή καμεν, οὐδὲ γὰρ πολλὰ συγγεγόναμεν ἀλλήλοις (καίτοι χρῆν παντὸς μᾶλλον, καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς αὐτούς, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐκ πατέρων φιλίαν), τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων δ' ἀπαιτοῦμεν εὔνοιαν. 13.3 Ἐγγὺς ἀγών, καὶ ἀγώνων ὁ μέγιστος· ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς ἡμῶν Νικόβουλος ἐν ταραχαῖς ἀδοκήτοις, παρ' ὧν ἥκιστ' ἂν ᾠήθη τις ἔχων πράγματα. 13.4 ∆ιὰ τοῦτ' ἀξιοῦμέν σε παρεῖναι καὶ βοηθεῖν ἡμῖν ὡς τάχιστα, καὶ συνδικάσοντα καὶ συνηγορήσοντα, εἰ εὕροις ἀδικουμένους· εἰ δ' οὖν, μὴ προληφθῆναι τῷ ἐναντίῳ μέρει κέρδους μικροῦ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀποδόμενον, ἣν ἀεί σοι μαρτυρηθεῖ σαν παρὰ πάντων γινώσκομεν. 14.Τ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΙΩΙ 14.1 Εὐεργέτησόν τι καὶ σεαυτὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς, οἷον οὐ πολλάκις εὐεργετήσεις, ὅτι μηδὲ πολλάκις παραπίπτουσιν εὐεργεσίας τοιαύτης καιροί. 14.2 Τῶν κυρίων μου τῶν ἀνεψιῶν πρόστηθι προστασίαν δικαιοτάτην, καμνόντων ἱκανῶς ἐπὶ κτήματι, ὅπερ ὠνήσαντο μὲν ὡς καὶ πρὸς ἀναχώρησιν ἐπιτήδειον καί τινα τοῦ βίου παρέχειν αὐτοῖς ἀποτροφὴν δυνάμενον· 14.3 ἐπεὶ δ' ὠνήσαντο, πλείοσι περιπεπτώκασι δυσχερείαις, τὰ μὲν τῶν πεπρακότων ἀγνωμόνων πειρώμενοι, τὰ δ' ὑπὸ τῶν γειτονούντων περικοπτόμενοι καὶ πορθούμενοι, ὥστε κέρδος εἶναι αὐτοῖς, τὸ τίμημα ὃ δεδώκασι κομισαμένοις, μεθ' ὧν προσαναλώκασιν, ὄντων οὐκ ὀλίγων, ἀπηλλαγῆναι τῆς κτήσεως. 14.4 Εἰ μὲν οὖν σοι φίλον εἰς σεαυτὸν περιστῆσαι τὴν πραγματείαν, ὅπως ἂν κάλλιστα καὶ ἀσφαλέστατα ἔχῃ σοι τὸ