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a sword. Or have not these things indeed long been yours, when, as soon as you disembarked from the merchant ship, the children of the Egyptians sent you forth with a certain barbaric shout, and there was a festival no less than when of old a favorable season gave them the Apis bull, and how, lifted high in mind by these things, you called me worthless for dwelling in a small city, and were your country and wife and the child itself cast aside by you? And you thought me, I suppose, philosophizing foolishly, because much applause did not surround me, coming from an obscure voice, O Zeus, and a barbarian tongue; and, the greatest thing of all, you called yourself happy if they showed your house to be full of grain and meat. Do you see how puffed up you were over small things, you who are now being accused of arrogance? And I say these things, by the gods, not wishing to avenge myself on you for your words, for I do not judge this to be in keeping with my philosophy—but wishing, if I might somehow be able, to make your tongue more moderate. But see to it that, struck by the power of my words, you do not become far from writing such things to us. For by your Nile and the Graces present with you, I have made your letter a public spectacle for the learned, and in the middle of Gaza it was read to everyone. And I, called an impostor by your letter, was ashamed, but the audience laughed at me; and you seemed fortunate in your words. 92 To Orion Always carrying you in my memory, I almost seem to have you with me and I contrive to have the absent one present. And as I remember, everything comes together with pleasure for me, the stability of your character, your zeal for learning, the moderation of your mind, and, the greatest thing of all, a self-control that checks the irrational impulses of youth. And at times I reason with myself that he who appeared such while we were all watching, what might he become when he is by himself? For he will surpass, I think, his past achievements, competing against himself, so that he might show to us who are absent that he truly honored virtue for its own sake, and not out of respect for us who were watching. And if he inhabits a luxurious city, with many examples of licentiousness, this will set him more ambitiously against pleasures. For what athlete, priding himself on victory, having come to Olympia, will consider the magnitude of the contest a time for ease, but will not rather intensify his training at once, and confirm his previous victories with a greater one? And you too, indeed, closing your senses, becoming unswerving toward every sound and sight, will show that an abundance of evils does not know how to conquer self-control, but where there is a longing for nobler things, even if you speak of the Sirens, even of Circe who changes all things, Odysseus will conquer again, now showing the moly—this, I think, is reason, which Hermes gave as a gift—and now binding himself with virtue, and crying out loudly, I think, while sailing past the pleasures. 93 To Apollonius The most devout Martyrius, rich in virtue but poor in fortune, requires your support, having, as he says, the greatest experience from past events, and he easily persuaded me, as I know that you extend a hand to all who need to be set right and call for aid; for having here with us only so much as neither imparts strength nor allows him to die, he looks to you, thinking that such a thing is a release from evils. But support him readily, giving a benevolent eye both for your own sake and for mine and for the one who is in need. For he said confidently that if you should receive a letter from me, there is nothing that you will not readily do. And when I smiled and asked whence he knew this, he was ready even to guarantee the future. Therefore, fulfill his hopes, lest, should need call again, he guarantee the future on the grounds that I could accomplish nothing with you. 94 To Diodorus I have received another letter from you, clear and very beautiful in its words, but in its handwriting obscure and concealing the grace of the words. For you seem to me, fearing that you might sometime forget your nature by forcing it toward clarity, to console yourself for the familiarity of the words with the style of the handwriting, so that you might again have your distinguishing mark from your customary obscurity. Thus the matter seems to you an advantage, and you seem to me to be afraid of losing the title. Take heart, then, as I would never change my opinion, thinking otherwise about

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μάχαιραν. ἢ οὐ σὰ δήπου πάλαι ταῦτα καθέστηκεν, ὡς ἅμα σε τῆς ὁλκάδος ἐκβάντα προὔπεμπον δὴ σὺν βοῇ τινὶ βαρβάρῳ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων οἱ παῖδες, καὶ πανήγυρις ἦν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ὅτε πάλαι φορά τις αὐτοῖς εὐμενὴς ἐδίδου τὸν Ἆπιν, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑψοῦ τῆς διανοίας ἀρθεὶς ἐμὲ μὲν μικρὰν οἰκοῦντα πόλιν φαῦλον ἐκάλεις, ἀπόρριπτος δὲ παρὰ σοὶ πατρίς τε καὶ γυνὴ καὶ τὸ παιδίον αὐτό; καί πού με φιλοσοφοῦντα λῆρον ἐδόκεις, ὅτι με μὴ κρότος εἶχε πολύς, ἐξ ἀσήμου φωνῆς, ὦ Ζεῦ, καὶ βαρβάρου γλώττης ὤν· καί, τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, εὐδαίμονα σαυτὸν ἐκάλεις, εἰ σίτου σοι καὶ κρεῶν πλήρη τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπέδειξαν. ὁρᾷς ὅσον ἐπὶ σμικροῖς ἐπήρθης, ὁ νῦν ἀλαζονείας γραφόμενος; καὶ ταῦτά φημι μὰ τοὺς θεούς, οὐκ ἀμύνασθαί σε τῶν ῥημάτων ἐθέλων, οὐ γὰρ πρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς τοῦτο κρίνω φιλοσοφίαςἀλλ' εἴ πως δυναίμην, μετριωτέραν σοι τὴν γλῶτταν ἀποδεῖξαι βουλόμενος. ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων καταπλαγεὶς πόρρω γένῃ τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα γράφειν ἡμῖν. μὰ γὰρ τὸν σὸν Νεῖλον καὶ τὰς παρούσας σοι Χάριτας, θέατρον λογικὸν τὴν σὴν παρέσχον ἐπιστολήν, κἀν τῇ Γάζῃ μέσῃ πρὸς πάντας ἐλέγετο. κἀγὼ μὲν ἀλαζὼν ᾐδούμην ὑπὸ τῶν σῶν γραμμάτων καλούμενος, ἐγέλα δὲ τὸ θέατρον ἐπ' ἐμοί· σὺ δὲ τῶν λόγων εὐδαίμων ἐδόκεις. 92 Ὠρίωνι Ἀεί σε φέρων τῇ μνήμῃ μικροῦ μοι καὶ παρεῖναι δοκῶ καὶ τὸν ἀπόντα παρεῖναι σοφίζομαι. καί μοι μεμνημένῳ πάντα πρὸς ἡδονὴν συνεισέρχεται, τὸ τῶν τρόπων εὐσταθές, ἡ περὶ τοὺς λόγους σπουδή, τῆς διανοίας τὸ μέτριον καί, τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, σωφροσύνη νεότητος ἀλόγους ὁρμὰς ἀνακό πτουσα. καὶ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἔσθ' ὅτε λογίζομαι ὡς ὁ πάντων ἡμῶν ὁρώντων τοιοῦτος φανεὶς τίς ἂν γένοιτο καθ' ἑαυτὸν γεγονώς; νικήσει γάρ, οἶμαι, τὰ φθάσαντα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἁμιλλώμενος, ὅπως ἂν δείξῃ τοῖς ἀποῦσιν ἡμῖν ὡς ἄρα δι' αὐτὴν ἐτίμα τὴν ἀρετήν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ὁρῶντας αἰδούμενος. εἰ δὲ καὶ πόλιν ἔχει τρυφῶσαν, καὶ πολλὰ τῆς ἀσελγείας τὰ παραδείγματα, τοῦτο φιλοτιμότερον αὐτὸν ἀντιτάξει ταῖς ἡδοναῖς. τίς γὰρ ἀθλητὴς ἐπὶ τῷ νικᾶν σεμνυνόμενος εἰς Ὀλυμπίαν ἐλθὼν τοῦ ἀγῶνος τὸ μέγεθος καιρὸν ῥᾳστώνης ἡγήσεται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιτενεῖ μὲν αὐτίκα τὴν ἄσκησιν, βεβαιώσει δὲ τὰς προλαβούσας νίκας τῇ μείζονι; καὶ σὺ δὴ μύσας τὰς αἰσθήσεις, ἀκλινὴς πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀκοὴν καὶ θέαν γενόμενος, δείξεις ὡς οὐχ ἡ τῶν κακῶν εὐπορία τὴν σωφροσύνην οἶδε νικᾶν, ἀλλ' ἔνθα τῶν σεμνοτέρων ὁ πόθος, κἂν τὰς Σειρῆνας εἴπῃς, κἂν τὴν πάντα μεταβάλλουσαν Κίρκην, νικήσει πάλιν Ὀδυσσεύς, νῦν μὲν τὸ μῶλυ δεικνύς, λόγον, οἶμαι τοῦτον ὃν Ἑρμῆς ἐδωρή σατο, νυνὶ δὲ περιδήσας ἑαυτὸν ἀρετῇ, καὶ πολλὰ βοώσας οἶμαι παρα πλέων τὰς ἡδονάς. 93 Ἀπολλωνίωι Ὁ εὐλαβέστατος Μαρτύριος, πλουτῶν μὲν ἀρετῇ, τῇ δὲ τύχῃ πενόμενος, δεῖται τῆς ὑμετέρας ῥοπῆς, πλείστην ἔχων, ὥς φησιν, ἐκ τῶν φθασάντων τὴν πεῖραν, καί με ῥᾳδίως ἔπειθεν, ἐπιστάμενον ὡς πᾶσι χεῖρα προτείνεις τοῖς ὀρθοῦσθαι δεομένοις καὶ πρὸς ἐπικουρίαν καλοῦσι· τοσαῦτα γὰρ ἔχων παρ' ἡμῖν ὅσα μήτ' ἰσχὺν ἐντίθησι καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν ἐᾷ, εἰς ὑμᾶς ὁρᾷ, λύσιν εἶναι κακῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἡγούμενος. ἀλλ' ἀντέχου προθύμως, ὄμμα διδοὺς εὐμενὲς καὶ διὰ σαυτὸν καὶ δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ τὸν ἐν χρείᾳ καθεστηκότα. καὶ γὰρ θαρρῶν ἔλεγεν ὡς ἐὰν δέξῃ γράμματα παρ' ἐμοῦ, οὐδὲν ὅ τι μὴ ῥᾳδίως ποιήσεις. ἐμοῦ δὲ μειδιῶντος καὶ ὁπόθεν οἶδεν ἀνερομένου, καὶ κατεγγυᾶσθαι τὸ μέλλον ἕτοιμος ἦν. οὐκοῦν πλήρωσον αὐτῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἵνα μὴ χρείας αὖθις καλούσης κατεγγυᾶται τὸ μέλλον ὡς οὐδὲν ἀνύσαιμι παρ' ὑμῖν. 94 ∆ιοδώρωι ∆έδεγμαί σου πάλιν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς μὲν λόγοις σαφῆ καὶ λίαν καλήν, τοῖς δὲ γράμμασιν ἀσαφῆ καὶ τῶν λόγων τὴν χάριν καλύπτουσαν. δοκεῖς γάρ μοι, δεδιὼς μή ποτε πρὸς λήθην ἔλθῃς τῆς φύσεως πρὸς τὸ σαφὲς αὐτὴν βιασάμενος, τῷ τύπῳ τῶν γραμμάτων παραμυθεῖσθαι τῶν ῥημάτων τὸ γνώριμον, ὅπως ἂν πάλιν ἐκ τῆς συνήθους ἀσαφείας ἔχῃς τὸ γνώρισμα. οὕτως σοὶ πλεονέκτημα τὸ πρᾶγμα φαίνεται, καὶ δεδιέναι μοι δοκεῖς ἐκπεσεῖν τοῦ προσρήματος. θάρρει τοίνυν, ὡς οὔποτε μεταθείμην τῆς δόξης, ἕτερα φρονῶν περὶ