Procopius of Gaza, Letters

For Croesus it was a pleasure to be and to possess his wealth, and for another to be called the great king; another, seeing the swallows, determines that it is spring, but I, enjoying your voice, was prouder than Croesus over those talents of his and the great king sitting under the plane tree, and instead of the swallows it seemed to me that the Muses themselves were singing to me. But I shall stop, lest by wishing to show my pleasure too much I might somehow seem a sophist in my letters, and you, laughing at one another, might mock me with that which is our custom. Except that addressing you jointly caused me double the pleasure, just as for those who have come to Delphi, whenever, having recited a hymn, they have Apollo in their speech, and Artemis was at the same time part of the song. And this pleased the gods more than if someone had praised each one separately in a hymn. For being siblings, they wished to remain so in their songs. 38 To Zacharias, my brother. You complain that the seasons of the year have passed, but I that they are present again. Why then are you still silent? For it is not sufficient for a defense to make a preemptive accusation against someone, but whoever, being guilty, then blames others, if you take away his pretense of accusing others, accuses himself. And do not bring up to me our stay in Byzantium when we were silent; for Pamphylia itself is my witness that it said many things, but heard nothing. But would that I had again a solemn tribunal and an Attic judge and the brilliant state of Athens, when rhetoric flourished in solemn fortune, but Plato—how might I speak with moderation?—could not bear her good fortune; for an indictment would immediately have been laid against you, to the effect that "1he wrongs Greece, by holding that rhetoric, on which the cities stand, is nothing"2, and I, coming forward, would have prosecuted. But allow me to be youthful for a little; for already I am filled with anger and accusations of words, and I could not be silent at the start. "1Nothing, then, was more terrible, O judges, than when a man speaks ill of that from which his ability came. Just as this good man here, speaking about you—dares to utter something against rhetoric, from which he has a happy life and reputation, so that even if he wins the vote, he is defeated, mastering that very thing from which his victory comes. And he uses Plato as a witness, who has assigned rhetoric to the lowest lot, and went on at length with insults against orators."2 The judges in the case, having learned these things ... but I would not add the penalty. And speaking of Polus and Callicles, add Plato's characters; for he creates these for himself as in a drama, speaking what they had indeed agreed upon. But if not, also allow the Socrates in the comedy to take the lead. 39 To Zacharias. The winter for us has indeed come to an end and has ceased, for us who were blaming both things, the silence and the season, but spring has arrived to our delight and has become spring more than it was accustomed to be; for not only do the swallows sing of the season, but Rumor also proclaims the decree concerning you, that you have advanced to a great position, that you have been enrolled in the chorus of fortunate orators. And if it added as much as we wish, certainly nothing would be lacking for good fortune. If, then, these things have happened, I shall certainly ask for greater things; but if we are pleased only by words, I praise the rumor, and I foretell the deeds because of the rumor. 40 To Zacharias. Now I truly know that rumor was not, after all, a word but a deed, and I perhaps admire the Attic law, which established her also among the gods. For not only does Hesiod celebrate her as a god in his hymns, but also the Athenians, who learned of the battle at Mycale on the very same day, said it was intolerable if they did not consider Rumor a god. If, then, my speech were to another, I would have said at once that you will raise your eyebrow at us and say you are suffering terribly, if some governor did not frequently call you an orator, and you will be prouder than that Demosthenes on the Attic tribunal; for he led one city by his public speaking, but you will rule a court of justice, from which justice proceeds to the subjects of the king. Having said these things to another, in your case I would be silent, whom I see to be more moderate in his good fortunes. From which I always expect even greater things. For to such men fortune always measures out more, begrudging none of the things that came before. 41 To Zacharias, my brother. Receive the present letter, late, indeed, but nevertheless

ἡδονῇ Κροίσῳ τε εἶναι καὶ τἀκείνου κεκτῆσθαι, τῷ δὲ βασι λεὺς ὁ μέγας ἀκούειν· ἄλλος τὰς χελιδόνας ἰδὼν τὸ ἔαρ ἔχειν ὁρίζεται, ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀπολαύων φωνῆς μεῖζον ἐφρόνουν ἢ Κροῖσος ἐπὶ τοῖς ταλάν τοις ἐκείνοις καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁ μέγας ὑπὸ τῇ πλατάνῳ καθήμενος, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν χελιδόνων αὐτάς μοι προσᾴδειν ἐδόκουν τὰς Μούσας. ἀλλὰ γὰρ παύ σομαι, μὴ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἄγαν ἐμφαίνειν ἐθέλων σοφιστὴς οὕτω που τάχα δόξω τοῖς γράμμασι, καὶ γελῶντες ἀλλήλοις τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σύνηθες ἡμῖν ἐπι σκώψητε. πλὴν ὅτι μοι διπλασίαν ἐνεποίει τὴν ἡδονὴν τὸ κοινῇ προσερεῖν ὑμᾶς, ὥσπερ τοῖς εἰς ∆ελφοὺς ἀφικομένοις, ἐπειδὰν ὕμνον εἰπόντες Ἀπόλ λωνά τε σχοῖεν τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ Ἄρτεμις ἅμα μέρος ἦν τῆς ᾠδῆς. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ηὔφραινε μᾶλλον, ἢ εἰ καθ' αὑτόν τις ἀπολαβὼν ἑκάτερον ὕμνησεν. ἀδελφοὶ γὰρ ὄντες καὶ ταῖς ᾠδαῖς τοιοῦτοι μένειν ἠβούλοντο. 38 Ζαχαρίαι ἀδελφῶι Σὺ μὲν ἐγκαλεῖς ὡς παρῴχοντο τοῦ ἔτους αἱ ὧραι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς καὶ πάρεισι πάλιν. τί τοίνυν ἔτι σιγᾷς; οὐ γὰρ ἱκανὸν εἰς ἀπολογίαν προλαβεῖν τὸ καθ' αὑτοῦ τινος ἔγκλημα, ἀλλ' ὅστις ἔνοχος ὢν εἶτα τοῖς ἄλλοις μέμφεται, ἂν ἀφέλῃς τὸ δῆθεν ἑτέρων κατηγορεῖν, ἑαυτὸν αἰτιᾶται. καὶ μή μοι πρόφερε τὴν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ διαγωγὴν σιγώντων ἡμῶν· ἐμοὶ γὰρ καὶ Παμφυλία μάρτυς αὕτη ὡς πολλὰ μὲν ἔλεγεν, ἤκουε δὲ οὐδέν. ἀλλ' εἴθε μοι πάλιν ἦν βῆμα σεμνὸν καὶ δικαστὴς Ἀττικὸς καὶ σχῆμα λαμπρὸν Ἀθηνῶν, ὅτε ῥητορικὴ μὲν ἐπὶ σεμνῆς ἤκμαζε τύχης, Πλάτων δὲπῶς ἂν εἴποιμι μετρίως; οὐκ ἔφερεν εὐτυχοῦσαν· γραφὴ γὰρ ἂν εὐθὺς ἀπέκειτο κατὰ σοῦ, ὡς "1ἀδικεῖ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ῥητορικήν, ἐφ' ἧς ἑστήκασιν αἱ πόλεις, οὐδὲν εἶναι τιθείς"2, καὶ παρελθὼν κατηγόρουν. ἀλλά μοι μικρὸν δίδου νεανιεύεσθαι· ἤδη γὰρ ὑπ' ὀργῆς καὶ λόγων κατηγορίας ἐμπίπλαμαι, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ἂν σιωπή σαιμι. "1οὐδὲν ἦν ἄρα δεινότερον, ὦ δικασταί, ἢ ὅταν ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο λέγῃ κακῶς ὅθεν αὐτῷ προσῆλθε τὸ δύνασθαι. οἷον ἡμῖν ὁ χρηστὸς οὑτοσὶ λέγων περὶ σοῦκατὰ ῥητορικῆς τολμᾷ τι καὶ φθέγγεσθαι, ἐξ ἧς αὐτῷ βίος εὐδαίμων καὶ φήμη, ὥστε κἂν τὴν ψῆφον λάβῃ, νενίκηται, ταύτην κρατῶν ἐξ ἧς αὐτῷ τὸ νικᾶν. καὶ μάρτυρι χρῆται τῷ Πλάτωνι, ὃς τὴν ῥητο ρικὴν ἐσχάτῃ δέδωκε μοίρᾳ, καὶ εἰς ῥητόρων ὕβριν ἐχώρει πολύς."2 ταῦτα μαθόντας τοὺς τῷ λόγῳ δικαστὰς ... ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔτι προσθείην τὸ τίμημα. Πῶλον δὲ καὶ Καλλικλέα λέγων προστίθει τοὺς Πλάτωνος· τούτους γὰρ ἑαυτῷ δημιουργεῖ καθάπερ ἐν δράματι φθεγγομένους ἃ δὴ συνέθεντο. εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ τὸν ἐν τῇ κωμῳδίᾳ δίδου Σωκράτην ἡγεῖσθαι. 39 Ζαχαρίαι Ὁ μὲν χειμὼν ἡμῖν καὶ δὴ πέρας ἔχει καὶ πέπαυται μεμφομένοις ἀμφότερα, καὶ τὴν σιγὴν καὶ τὴν ὥραν, τὸ δὲ ἔαρ ἀσμένοις ἀφῖκται καὶ μᾶλλον ἤπερ εἰώθει γέγονεν ἔαρ· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ᾄδουσιν αἱ χελιδόνες τὴν ὥραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ σοὶ ψῆφον ἡ φήμη βοᾷ, ὡς ἐπὶ μέγα προῆλθες, ὡς εὐδαιμόνων ῥητόρων ἐγκατελέγης χορῷ. εἰ δὲ καὶ ὅσον βουλόμεθα προσετίθη, πάντως ἂν οὐδὲν εἰς εὐτυχίαν ἀπῆν. εἰ μὲν οὖν γέγονε ταῦτα, τὰ μείζω πάντως αἰτήσομαι· εἰ δὲ μέχρι τῶν λόγων ἡδόμεθα, τὴν μὲν φήμην ἐπαινῶ, τὰ δὲ ἔργα διὰ τὴν φήμην μαντεύομαι. 40 Ζαχαρίαι Νῦν ὄντως ἔγνων ὡς οὐκ ἦν ἄρα λόγος ἀλλ' ἔργον ἡ φήμη, καὶ θαυμάζω τάχα τὸν νόμον τὸν Ἀττικόν, ὃς ἐν θεοῖς καὶ ταύτην ἱδρύσατο. οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον Ἡσίοδος θεὸν αὐτὴν ἀνυμνεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι οἱ τὴν ἐν Μυκάλῃ μάχην αὐθημερὸν ἐγνωκότες οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ἔφασαν εἰ μὴ θεὸν ἡγοῖντο τὴν Φήμην. εἰ μὲν οὖν πρὸς ἄλλον ὑπῆρχεν ὁ λόγος, εἶπον ἂν εὐθὺς ὡς ἀνασπά σεις ἡμῖν τὴν ὀφρῦν καὶ δεινὰ φήσεις πάσχειν, εἰ μή σέ τις πυκνῶς ἐπάρχων καλέσειε ῥήτορα, καὶ μεῖζον φρονήσεις ἢ ∆ημοσθένης ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ βήματος Ἀττικοῦ· ὁ μὲν γὰρ μίαν ἦγε πόλιν δημηγορῶν, σὺ δὲ δικαστηρίου κρατή σεις, ἐξ οὗ προέρχεται τοῖς βασιλέως ὑπηκόοις ἡ δίκη. ταῦτα πρὸς ἄλλον ἂν εἰπὼν ἐπὶ σοῦ σιωπήσαιμι, ὃν ἐν τοῖς εὐτυχίαις μᾶλλον ὁρῶ μετριώτερον. ὅθεν ἀεὶ καὶ τὰ μείζω προσδέχομαι. τοῖς γὰρ τοιούτοις ἐπιμετρεῖται πάντως ἡ τύχη, μηδὲν τῶν προλαβόντων βασκαίνουσα. 41 Ζαχαρίαι ἀδελφῶι ∆έχου τὴν παροῦσαν ἐπιστολήν, χρονίαν μέν, ἀλλ' ὅμως