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of hope, and weeping a little I knew how strong is love, and that it was some delusion that comforted my reason. But when I unsealed and examined the letter, I was so pleased that I willingly stood aside from the present, often saying, "1Lest again..."2 And the desire for things to come pressed me on. 49 To Ulpius. The admirable Strategius, whom I already loved before, I now loved yet even more, because he has become the occasion for our letters to one another; for having put an end to our former silence, he has given us the chance to say something to you and to hear from you as you speak again. And if our letters are to your pleasure, honor then their cause, who already acknowledges his gratitude to you for your previous zeal, and who will proclaim your good service all the more if you bring the favor to completion. But show some youthful spirit against those who do wrong, so that all might perceive what sort of friends I had without knowing it. As for your brother, I knew of him even before I saw him; for rumor had often made him known to me. But now I have admired him more, having learned from experience. And seeing him, I thought I had you in another body, and though far away, you seemed to be present to us in another image. 50 To Sosianus. It was fitting, then, for me to be bold and ask a favor of you, and for you to grant it eagerly, as is appropriate for both of us: for me to say what I need, and for you to bring the word to action. For Strategius reported to me that your zeal for him was so great that, as far as you were concerned, the case reached its conclusion and we have won. But see that this also comes about in deeds; for so confident am I in expecting the conclusion through you, that even before the end I am already seeking words by which I may acknowledge the favor. 51 To Ulpius. You have escaped a great accusation against you that I was composing. For when Strategius arrived, but had no letter, he blushed to approach me—how could he not? And having often avoided me, he was with difficulty caught, and I was calling him abominable and hateful to the gods, because though he had come to us he reported nothing about you, our dearest friends, about whom I often prayed to hear. But nevertheless he made his apology sufficiently; for he said the reason for his avoidance was that he was not bringing a letter. And I was forgiving him for this as he blushed, but I said to myself: "1How many things time knows how to bring and to change! For the good Ulpius, when he shared our old fortune, was a friend and seemed so, and I would never have thought that he would change; but since he has been raised to splendor and has become great, he is unbearable in his good fortune, and forgets those former times. May he only be fortunate, and we shall bear being overlooked with moderation."2 Saying these and similar things, I was gathering a great accusation against you. But when someone came and delivered the letter from you, first, before I unsealed it, I kissed the letter many times; then, coming upon its contents and finding the apology for the delay, I was pleased beyond measure, and I regretted my former words. Instead I was saying: "1Alas, how many things people suspect in vain! For neither time nor fortune has changed the admirable Ulpius for us, but he is both grateful and recognizes me as his former benefactor"2. But see that by being silent again you do not bring us to an accusation once more. 52 To Silanus. You have cast us down from a hope of which you could not say how great it was. For when I took your previous letter in my hands and learned from it that you would return to us a little later, I was pleased and, breathing deeply with pleasure, I said: "1But, O Zeus, may this happen!"2 And so I was in suspense day by day and walked on a light hope, often saying indeed: "1Will I ever see and speak to him after a long time?"2 and "1May I be with him again!"2 But when the time was beyond my hopes, I did not think it right to write, doing this, they say, as a goad to love, so that, seeming to be scorned, you might hasten to us all the more, wanting to reproach me for not remembering my friends. And you seem to me to have become a Stratocles the orator for us. For he announced victory to the defeated Athenians who were ignorant of their fate. Immediately, then, the city was upright, and was given over to celebration, and though unfortunate they rejoiced. But when the truth was announced and the appearance was no longer, "1For what then?"2 says the

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ἐλπίδος, καὶ βραχὺ δακρύσας ἔγνων ὁπόσον ἔρως ἰσχύει, καὶ ὅτι πλάνη τις ἦν παραμυθουμένη τὸν λογισμόν. ὡς δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀναλύσας ἐσκόπουν, ἥσθην τοσοῦτον ὥστε τοῦ παρόντος ἑκὼν ἀφιστάμην "1μὴ καὶ πάλιν ..."2 πολλάκις εἰπών. καὶ ὁ τῶν μελλόντων με κατήπειγε πόθος. 49 Οὐλπίωι Τὸν θαυμαστὸν Στρατήγιον καὶ πρότερον ἤδη φιλῶν, νῦν ἔτι καὶ μᾶλλον ἠγάπησα, διότι τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῖν γραμμάτων ὑπῆρξεν ὑπόθεσις· τὴν γὰρ προτέραν σιωπὴν μεταστήσας δέδωκεν ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν τι πρός σε καὶ φθεγγομένου πάλιν ἀκοῦσαι. εἰ δὲ καὶ καθ' ἡδονὴν τὰ ἡμέτερα γράμματα, τίμα δὴ τούτων τὸν αἴτιον, ἤδη μὲν ὑμῖν χάριν ὁμολογοῦντα τῆς προλαβού σης σπουδῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ κηρύξοντα τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, εἰ πρὸς τέλος ἐνέγκοις τὴν χάριν. ἀλλ' ἐπίδειξαί τι νεανικὸν κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων, ὅπως ἂν αἴσθοιντο πάντες οἵους ἄρα τοὺς φίλους ἔχων ἐλάνθανον. τὸν δὲ ὑμέτερον ἀδελφὸν καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἰδεῖν ἠπιστάμην· ἐγνώρισε γάρ μοι πολλάκις τοῦτον ἡ φήμη· νυνὶ δὲ μᾶλλον ἐθαύμασα τῇ πείρᾳ μαθών. καὶ τοῦτον ἰδὼν σὲ δι' ἑτέρου σώματος ἔχειν ἡγούμην, καὶ μακρὰν ἀπὼν δι' ἄλλης ἡμῖν εἰκόνος ἐδόκεις παρεῖναι. 50 Σοσιανῶι Ἔπρεπεν ἄρα κἀμὲ θαρροῦντα χάριν αἰτεῖν παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ σὲ προθύμως διδόναι, ἀμφοτέροις ἁρμόττον, ἐμοὶ μὲν λέγειν ὅτου δέοι, σοὶ δὲ πρὸς ἔργον τὸν λόγον ἐκφέρειν. Στρατήγιος γὰρ ἀπήγγειλέ μοι τοσαύτην ὑμῶν γεγενῆ σθαι τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν προθυμίαν, ὥστε τἀπὶ σοὶ καὶ πέρας ἔσχεν ἡ δίκη καὶ νενικήκαμεν. ἀλλ' ὅπως καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις γένοιτο ταῦτα· τοσοῦτον γὰρ θαρρῶ διὰ σοῦ τὸ πέρας ἐλπίζων, ὥστε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τέλους ἤδη λόγους ζητῶ δι' ὧν ὁμολογήσω τὴν χάριν. 51 Οὐλπίωι Πολλὴν ἡμῖν κατὰ σοῦ μελετωμένην κατηγορίαν διέφυγες. ὡς γὰρ ἧκε μὲν ὁ Στρατήγιος, γράμματα δὲ οὐκ εἶχεν, ἠρυθρία μὲν ἐμοὶ προσελθεῖν πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλε; πολλάκις δὲ διαφυγὼν μόλις ἑάλω, καὶ δὴ βδελυρὸν αὐτὸν καὶ θεοῖς ἐχθρὸν ἀπεκάλουν, ὅτι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφιγμένος οὐδὲν περὶ ὑμῶν τῶν φιλτάτων ἀπήγγειλε, περὶ ὧν πολλάκις ηὐχόμην ἀκούειν. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἱκανῶς ἐποιεῖτο· καὶ γὰρ αἴτιον ἔλεγεν τὴν φυγὴν ὅτι γράμματα μὴ κομίζοι. κἀκείνῳ μὲν συγγνώμην ἐδίδουν ἐπὶ τού τοις ἐρυθριῶντι, ἔλεγον δὲ πρὸς ἐμαυτόν· "1ὅσα δὴ φέρειν καὶ μεταβάλλειν οἶδεν ὁ χρόνος. Οὔλπιος γὰρ ὁ καλὸς ἡνίκα μὲν ἡμῖν τῆς παλαιᾶς ἐκοινώνει τύχης, φίλος τε ἦν καὶ ἐδόκει, καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ᾤμην ὡς μεταβάλοιτο· ὡς δὲ λαμπρὸς ἤρθη καὶ γέγονε μέγας, ἀφόρητός ἐστιν εὐτυχῶν, καὶ τῶν πρῴην ἐκείνων ἐπιλανθάνεται. εὐτυχοίη δὲ μόνον, καὶ μετρίως οἴσομεν παρορώμενοι."2 ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγων πολλὴν κατὰ σοῦ κατηγορίαν συνέλεγον. ὡς δέ τις ἐλθὼν τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπεδίδου, πρῶτον μὲν πρὶν λῦσαι πολλάκις τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἠσπαζόμην· εἶτα τοῖς ἔνδον περιτυχὼν καὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν τοῦ βράδους εὑρὼν ἥσθην οὐ μετρίως, καὶ μετέμελέ μοι τῶν πρῴην ῥημάτων. ἔλεγον δὲ μᾶλλον "1φεῦ, ὡς πολλὰ μάτην ὑποπτεύουσιν ἄνθρωποι. τὸν θαυμαστὸν γὰρ ἡμῖν Οὔλπιον οὐ μετέβαλεν οὔτε χρόνος οὔτε ἡ τύχη, ἀλλ' εὐγνώμων τέ ἐστι κἀμὲ τὸν πρὶν εὐεργέτην ἐπίσταται"2. ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ πάλιν σιγῶν αὖθις ἡμᾶς εἰς κατηγορίαν ἐνέγκῃς. 52 Σιλανῶι Ἐξέκρουσας ἡμᾶς ἐλπίδος οὐκ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοις ὁπόσης. ἐγὼ γάρ σου τὴν προτέραν ἐπιστολὴν εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν καὶ γνοὺς ἐξ αὐτῆς ὡς μικρὸν ὕστερον ἡμῖν ἐπανήξεις, ἥσθην τε καὶ μέγα ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ἀναπνεύσας ἔφην· "1ἀλλ' ὦ Ζεῦ, γένοιτο ταῦτα"2. τοιγαροῦν μετέωρος ἦν ὁσημέραι καὶ ἐπὶ κούφης ἔβαινον τῆς ἐλπίδος, πυκνὰ δὴ λέγων· "1ἆρά ποτε ὄψομαι καὶ προσείπω χρόνιον"2 καὶ "1γενοίμην αὖθις σὺν ἐκείνῳ"2. ὡς δὲ χρόνος ἦν παρ' ἐλπίδας, οὐδὲ γράφειν ἠξίουν, ἐρέθισμά φασιν ἔρωτος τοῦτο ποιῶν, ὅπως ἂν καταφρονεῖσθαι δοκῶν, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπείγοιο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὀνειδίσαι θέλων τὸ μὴ φίλων μεμνῆ σθαι. καί μοι δοκεῖς Στρατοκλῆς ἡμῖν ὁ ῥήτωρ γενέσθαι. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἡττω μένοις τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τὴν τύχην ἀγνοοῦσι νίκην ἀπήγγειλεν. εὐθὺς οὖν ἡ πόλις ὀρθή, καὶ παίζειν ἀνεῖτο, καὶ δυστυχοῦντες ηὐφραίνοντο. ὡς δὲ τἀληθὲς ἠγγέλθη καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν ἦν οὐκέτι, "1τί γάρ"2 φησιν ὁ