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For if something better than these things should be considered, he immediately turns to that, and neither he nor his lyre would say anything musical. And when you are silent, having changed to newer things, we who were once dearest, but now perhaps only friends, are immediately downcast and silent. But I know whence this matter comes. The laws forced you to prepare to raise your eyebrows solemnly, then having taken on the mindset of a lawgiver and thinking you were already managing the affairs of the Romans by your vote, you have become so haughty towards us. But since a word and memory of our old intimacy has with difficulty stolen upon you—would that this had happened long ago—still, hearing your tongue utter something sweet with the swallows, I am roused in my soul and think the sun shines more brightly upon me, and now it is truly spring for me. But be well-disposed to us from now on, and no longer fall into forgetfulness of old affections. 20 To Strategius and Ilasius Again for you, fish from the vineyards, and fields, it seems, supply the things of the sea, and at the same time it is possible for you to harvest both lands and sea, and in one place to take clusters of grapes and in another, again, fish. And the sea seems to imitate your ways; for you supply things eagerly, and it wishes to minister to your generosity. But the sea here makes us just like landsmen, except that it provides waves and supplies its threat, without fish. 21 To Sosianus If someone is a lover of money, he would gladly say nothing but this, and would listen to others saying it. And if you should bring and offer gold, you have the first place of honor with him. But for him whose business is in arms, having taken a fine shield, he has become greatly proud and carrying the possession here and there he is filled the more with Ares. But to a good man, what could one do to please him, other than providing men like himself to see? Therefore, knowing that you are and wish to be such a man, it did not seem fitting for me that you should be unacquainted with the scholasticus Diodorus, but I bring and give him to you, and you to him, thinking that I will gratify you both, if you get to know one another. And each of you will certainly praise me for knowing how to act as an agent for friends. 22 To John Let the most learned Diodorus be for us a release from our silence toward one another, both demanding that you write and giving you what is from us. For he is a friend of mine, and already before seeing you he happened to be an admirer of yours; for the words from us relating things about you created the affection even before the sight. For the man is an admirer of fine things and is curious about good men, as if fearing that some such man might escape his notice. And why must I tell you the things about him? For surely, having learned of him by experience, you will think the praise too little and will call me a weak orator, as not even being able to say what is true of him. 23 To Diodorus This is that which happened just as I was expecting. For I thought that as soon as you got there, seeing the tribunal of rulers and the chorus of orators and the crowd of clients following, you would immediately be filled with pride, and if anyone wished to speak you would scarcely endure the speaker; and there will be little talk of us, and "1What are those hidden in darkness to me?"2 you will surely say somewhere about us. And if you should address us as we come on the ground, I would not be surprised even at this. I was expecting this very thing, and this has become the mindset of the orators among us, who call others clients, magnifying their own affairs. And now you seem to have chosen us as friends before, not judging us worthy, as is likely, but because for want of better men you made use of those at hand, and you surely regret the time you unworthily spent with us. And now as I write I am afraid you might be annoyed even at the letter from us. But I would pray that you fare well; and if we must be despised again, though it is painful, we will bear it nevertheless, consoling ourselves with your good fortune. 24 To Zacharias and Philip As for the cause of the preceding silence, let the winter bear it away, causing its usual troubles; but for any from now on, if indeed there should be one, you would rightly bear the responsibility. And yet, how great a thing for those who long for their beloved is silence, how could one explain it to those who have not come to experience the matter? But you would know

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εἰ γάρ τι παρὰ ταῦτα κρεῖττον νομισθείη, εὐθὺς πρὸς ἐκεῖνο γίνεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποι μουσικὸν οὔτε αὐτὸς οὔτε ἡ λύρα. καὶ σοῦ σιωπῶντος ἡμῖν πρὸς τὰ καινότερα μεταβεβλημένου κατηφεῖς εὐθὺς καὶ σιωπῶντες οἱ πάλαι μὲν φίλτατοι, νῦν δὲ ἴσως φίλοι. ἀλλ' οἶδα πόθεν τὸ πρᾶγμα. οἱ νόμοι σε παρα σκευάζειν ἠνάγκασαν σεμνὸν ταῖς ὀφρύσιν ἀνέλκειν, εἶτα φρόνημα νομο θέτου λαβὼν καὶ δόξας ἤδη τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἄγειν τῇ ψήφῳ, τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν κατεπήρθης. ἀλλ' ἐπειδή σε μόλις ὑπεισῆλθε τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας λόγος καὶ μνήμη, εἴθε μὲν καὶ πάλαι γέγονε τοῦτοὅμως δέ, τῆς σῆς γλώττης μετὰ τῶν χελιδόνων ἡδύ τι φθεγγομένης ἀκούσας διανίσταμαι τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ λαμπρότερόν μοι τὸν ἥλιον προσβάλλειν δοκῶ, καὶ νῦν ὄντως ἔαρ ἐμοί. ἀλλὰ γένοιο λοιπὸν ἡμῖν εὐμενής, καὶ μηκέτ' ἔλθῃς παλαιῶν ἐρώτων εἰς λήθην. 20 Στρατηγίωι καὶ Ἰλασίωι Πάλιν ὑμῖν ἐκ τῶν ἀμπέλων ἰχθῦς, καὶ ἀγροὶ τὰ τῆς θαλάσσης, ὡς ἔοικε, χορηγοῦσι, καὶ ἅμα χωρία καὶ θάλατταν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχει τρυγᾶν καὶ πῆ μὲν βότρυς λαμβάνειν πῆ δὲ πάλιν ἰχθῦς. καὶ ἔοικεν ἡ θάλαττα τοὺς ὑμετέρους τρόπους μιμεῖσθαι· ὑμεῖς τε γὰρ προθύμως χορηγεῖτε, κἀκείνη πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ὑπουργεῖν ἐθέλει φιλοτιμίαν. ἡ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν θάλαττα ἴσα καὶ ἠπειρώτας ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζεται, πλὴν ὅτι παρέχει τὰ κύματα καὶ χορηγεῖ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀπειλὴν ἰχθύων χωρίς. 21 Σοσιανῶι Εἴ τις χρημάτων ἐστὶν ἐραστής, οὐδὲν ἂν ἡδέως ἢ ταῦτα λέγοι καὶ λεγόν των ἄλλων ἀκούσειεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ χρυσὸν ἄγων παράσχοις, ἔχεις τὰ πρῶτα τῆς παρ' ἐκείνῳ τιμῆς. ὅτῳ δὲ ἐν ὅπλοις τὰ πράγματα, καλὴν οὗτος ἀσπίδα λαβὼν ἐφρόνησέ τε μέγα καὶ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περιφέρων τὸ κτῆμα πληροῦται μᾶλλον τοῦ Ἄρεος. ἀνδρὶ δὲ ἀγαθῷ τί πράττων ἄν τις χαρίσαιτο ἢ παρα πλησίους ἄνδρας παρέχων ἰδεῖν; ὅθεν σε τοιοῦτον εἰδὼς καὶ γεγονότα καὶ εἶναι βουλόμενον, τὸν σχολαστικὸν ∆ιόδωρον ἀγνοεῖν οὔ μοι πρέπον ἐφαί νετο, ἀλλ' ἄγω καὶ δίδωμι σοὶ μὲν ἐκεῖνον, ἐκείνῳ δὲ σέ, ἀμφοτέροις ὑμῖν χαριεῖσθαι νομίζων, εἰ ἀλλήλων ἐν πείρᾳ γενήσεσθε. ἐπαινέσει δέ με πάντως ἑκάτερος οἷα τοῖς φίλοις προξενεῖν ἠπιστάμην. 22 Ἰωάννηι Ὁ λογιώτατος ∆ιόδωρος λύσις ἡμῖν ἔστω τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους σιγῆς, καὶ σὲ γράφειν ἀπαιτῶν καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν σοι διδούς. φίλος μὲν γὰρ οὗτος ἐμός, ἤδη δὲ πρὶν ἰδεῖν καὶ σὸς ἐτύγχανεν ἐραστής· οἱ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν λόγοι τὰ περὶ σοῦ διηγούμενοι καὶ πρὸ τῆς θέας ἐποίουν τὸν ἔρωτα. ὁ γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐρωτικός ἐστι τῶν καλῶν καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖ τοὺς χρηστούς, ὥσπερ δεδιὼς μή ποτέ τις τοιοῦτος ὢν διαλάθῃ. καὶ τί σοι τὰ περὶ τούτου λέγειν με δεῖ; πάντως γὰρ τῇ πείρᾳ τοῦτον μαθὼν ἐλάττω νομίσεις τὸν ἔπαινον καὶ ἀσθενῆ με καλέσεις ῥήτορα, ὡς οὐδὲ τὰ προσόντα λέγειν δυνάμενον. 23 ∆ιοδώρωι Τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο ὃ καὶ προσδοκῶντί μοι γέγονεν. ᾤμην γὰρ εὐθὺς ὡς ἐκεῖσε γενόμενος, ἀρχόντων ὁρῶν βῆμα καὶ ῥητόρων χορὸν καὶ προσφύγων ὄχλον ἑπόμενον, πλησθήσῃ μὲν αὐτίκα φρονήματος, κἂν λαλεῖν τις ἐθέλῃ μόνον οὐκ ἀνέξει τοῦ λέγοντος· ἡμῶν δὲ λόγος ἔσται βραχύς, καὶ "1τί μοι τοὺς ἐν σκότῳ κεκρυμμένους ἐκείνους;"2 λέξεις που πάντως περὶ ἡμῶν. εἰ δὲ καὶ χαμαὶ ἐρχομένους προσείποις, οὐδὲ τοῦτο θαυμάσαιμι. τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ προσ εδόκων καὶ γέγονε τοῦτο τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ῥητόρων τὸ φρόνημα, οἳ καὶ πρόσφυγας τοὺς ἄλλους καλοῦσι, τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀποσεμνύνοντες πράγ ματα. καὶ νῦν δοκεῖς φίλους ἡμᾶς ᾑρῆσθαι τὸ πρότερον, οὐκ ἀξίους κρίνας, ὥσπερ εἰκός, ἀλλ' ὅτι κρειττόνων ἀπορίᾳ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐκέχρησο, καὶ μεταμέλει σοι πάντως τοῦ χρόνου ὃν παρ' ἡμῖν ἀναξίως διέτριβες. καὶ νῦν δέδοικα γράφων μὴ καὶ πρὸς τὴν παρ' ἡμῶν δυσχεράνῃς ἐπιστολήν. ἐγὼ δέ σε καλῶς πράττειν εὐξαίμην· κἂν δέῃ πάλιν καταφρονεῖσθαι, λυπηρὸν μέν, οἴσομεν δ' οὖν ὅμως τῇ σῇ τύχῃ παραμυθούμενοι. 24 Ζαχαρίαι καὶ Φιλίππωι Τῆς μὲν προλαβούσης σιωπῆς τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ χειμὼν ἀποφερέσθω τὰ εἰωθότα λυπῶν· τῆς δ' ἐντεῦθεν, εἴ τις ἄρα καὶ γένοιτο, ὑμεῖς ἂν εἰκότως ὑπέχοιτε τὰς εὐθύνας. καίτοι γε ἡλίκον τοῖς ποθοῦσι πρᾶγμα τῶν παιδι κῶν ἡ σιγή, πῶς ἄν τις παραστήσαι τοῖς μὴ πρὸς πεῖραν ἐλθοῦσι τοῦ πράγματος; ὑμεῖς δ' ἂν εἰδείητε