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of you, nor would I willingly deprive you of your wondrous glory. Only do not compel me to go to Pytho and, showing the letters, say "1tell me"2 "1O prophetic Pythian, what on earth did the writer wish to say?"2 But let this be my jest to you, in imitation of your grace. 95 To Nephalios Your letter now summons us to the festival, and says to set your house before us, and makes your present things common, and promises us the good of your word; but I for my part greatly admire you for your goodwill, and indeed I think the festival has been fulfilled for me, having received your letter. But for the journey from here, many are the hindrances that stand in my way. But you, fare well for me, and conquer your troubles, and remember not only those who are present. And if you cheer up the despondent with letters, this for me is more memorable than the good fortune of Polycrates. For many good men have shaken our ears with reports, such as "1he has done something terrible"2—speaking of you, of course—as "1he was caught in the act"2 as "1he has disappeared"2. Spreading these rumors, they brought forward witnesses, whom they insisted had come from there, and one told another, and the rumor spread through all. But when I received your letter, so far removed from that unjust rumor that you were even inviting friends to a festival, I immediately became overjoyed, and having the refutation of the falsehood, I proclaimed it everywhere, so that those formerly bold men could scarcely blush and bend to the ground and, I think, cry out against fortune that they were not hidden for a longer time. 96 To Silanus The good Macarius, enjoying my goodwill on account of his zeal and character, brought and delivered your letter to me, and I, recognizing the characters upon seeing them and greeting the address, immediately without delay went into what was written, and the swan at once sounded in my ears, and as if raising its wing to the Zephyr, it was wholly given over to songs and was most musical, and I now truly knew your nightingale, that it was not an Attic myth, but that the maiden was from Athens, and became a bird, and guards Attica with her songs; such is the form that your words create for the letter. And I, pleased by these things, took a deep breath and was brought to the memory of old happiness, how we were together by the Nile, how fortune allowed us to enjoy your company without fear, how I was grieved when deprived of it, how I rejoice now having received it. For I seem to have you already through the letter. And I gave thanks to the one who had given it to me, and "1how fortunate"2 I said "1O child, you are in your family"2, and I was blaming him that, being your kinsman, he was unknown. What then am I to become? Whence would I be able to provide him with as much as I wish? But if you will measure the favor by the eagerness, there is nothing that he will not receive from us. And hearing that you also bear the yoke of marriage, I would pray to see your children, who proclaim their father to those who see them. 97 To Macarius The token of your goodwill towards us is sweet, and the gift, entwined with honey, imitates your sentiment. For having become a lover of letters and being filled with them, you knew what a great thing is friendship that progresses with time and does not admit of forgetfulness through distance. Wherefore, though praising you before, I now have admired you even more, because even when not present you have remained just the same. But fare well for me and be filled with the laws and may you quickly become, so that I may say something poetic, "1a great joy to your father and to your city, and to all the people"2. 98 To Diodorus What is this that has happened to you, so fluent of tongue and breathing great things against the silent? You have been caught in the very things you accused others of, and you were unaware that you accused yourself, and you have been caught, netted in your own nets. For having done what you criticized, you have the refutation from your own home and you have been caught by your own wings, suffering the proverb. So that if any of the proper things were happening, I would have certainly sent your own letter back to you in reply; for perhaps you would have recognized that you had rebuked as one who would not err, but are now erring as if you had accused of nothing. And the greatest thing is that, out of love of honor, you have sent shoes both very fine and rather 'about the foot', as it seems to comedy, and you sent them bereft of a letter, saying neither 'accept' nor 'greetings'. And yet you were prouder of these, it seems, than that famous Croesus was of his

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σοῦ, οὐδὲ ἑκὼν εἶναί σε τῆς θαυμαστῆς εὐκλείας στερήσαιμι. μόνον μή με ἀναγκάσῃς Πυθώδε φοιτᾶν καὶ δεικνύντα τὰ γράμματα "1φράσον"2 λέγειν "1ὦ μαντικὲ Πύθιε, τί ποτε λέγειν ὁ γράφων ἐβούλετο;"2 ταῦτα δέ μοι πεπαίχθω πρὸς σέ, τὴν ὑμετέραν χάριν ἐκμιμουμένῳ. 95 Νηφαλίωι Τὰ μὲν ἐξ ὑμῶν γράμματα πρὸς τὴν πανήγυριν ἤδη καλεῖ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον ἡμῖν προτιθέναι φησί, κοινά τε τὰ παρόντα ποιεῖ, καὶ τὸ τοῦ λόγου ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐπαγγέλλεται· ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς μὲν εὐνοίας ὑμᾶς ὑπεράγαμαι, καὶ δή μοι πεπληρῶσθαι δοκῶ τὴν πανήγυριν, ἐπιστολῆς ὑμετέρας τυχών. πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὁδὸν πολλά μοι καθέστηκε τὰ κωλύματα. σὺ δέ μοι καὶ πρᾶττε καλῶς καὶ νίκα τὰ λυποῦντα καὶ μέμνησο μὴ μόνων παρόντων. εἰ δὲ καὶ γράμμασιν ἀθυμοῦντας ἀνάγοις, τοῦτό μοι τῆς Πολυκράτους εὐτυχίας σε μνότερον. πολλὰ γὰρ οἱ χρηστοὶ τὰς ἡμετέρας διέσεισαν ἀκοάς, ὡς "1πέπραχέ τι δεινόν"2σὲ δὴ λέγοντεςὡς "1ἥλω πράττων"2 ὡς "1γέγονεν ἀφανής"2. ταῦτα λογοποιοῦντες μάρτυρας παρῆγον, οὓς ἐκεῖθεν ἥκειν διισχυρίζοντο, καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλῳ διηγεῖτο, καὶ διὰ πάντων ἡ φήμη. ὡς δὲ τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν ἐδεξάμην ἐπιστολὴν τοσοῦτον ἀπέχουσαν τῆς ἀδίκου φήμης, ὡς καὶ πρὸς πανήγυριν τοὺς φίλους καλεῖν, εὐθὺς ἐγενόμην περιχαρής, καὶ τοῦ ψεύδους ἔχων τὸν ἔλεγχον πανταχοῦ ταύτην ἐκήρυττον, ὥστε τοὺς πάλαι θρασεῖς μόλις ἐρυθριᾶν καὶ κύπτειν εἰς γῆν καὶ τῆς τύχης οἶμαι καταβοᾶν ὅτι μὴ πλείω χρόνον ἐλάνθανον. 96 Σιλανῶι Ὁ καλὸς Μακάριος σπουδῆς ἕνεκα καὶ τρόπων τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπολαύων εὐ νοίας, ἐπέδωκέ μοι φέρων τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐπιστολήν, ἐγὼ δὲ τοὺς τύπους ἐπιγνοὺς ἅμα τῇ θέᾳ καὶ τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ἀσπασάμενος, εὐθὺς μελλήσας οὐδὲν τῶν γεγραμμένων εἴσω γεγένημαι, καὶ ὁ μὲν κύκνος εὐθὺς ἐνήχει ταῖς ἀκοαῖς, καὶ ὥσπερ τῷ Ζεφύρῳ τὸ πτερὸν ἀνεὶς ὅλος ἀνέκειτο ταῖς ᾠδαῖς καὶ μουσι κώτερος ἦν, τὴν δὲ σὴν ἀηδόνα νῦν ὄντως ἔγνων ὡς οὐ μῦθος ἦν Ἀττικός, ἀλλ' ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν ὑπῆρχεν ἡ κόρη, καὶ γέγονεν ὄρνις, καὶ τὴν Ἀττικὴν φυλάττει τοῖς μέλεσι· τοιοῦτον αὐτῇ τὸ σχῆμα τῆς ἐπιστολῆς δημιουργοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι. ἐγὼ δὲ τούτοις ἡσθεὶς ἀνέπνευσά τε μέγα καὶ παλαιᾶς εὐδαιμονίας ἀνηγόμην εἰς μνήμην, ὡς συνῆμεν ἀλλήλοις παρὰ τὸν Νεῖλον, ὡς ἀδεῶς ἐμφορεῖσθαί σου παρεῖχεν ἡ τύχη, ὡς στερηθεὶς ἠχθόμην, ὡς χαίρω νῦν κομισάμενος. καὶ γάρ σε διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔχειν ἤδη δοκῶ. καὶ χάριν ὡμο λόγουν τῷ ταύτην ἐμοὶ δεδωκότι, καὶ "1ὡς εὐδαίμων"2 ἔφην "1ὦ παῖ τοῦ γένους ὑπάρχεις"2, καὶ ἐμεμφόμην ὅτι σοι προσήκων ἐλάνθανε. τίς οὖν γένω μαι; πόθεν ἂν δυναίμην αὐτῷ παρέχειν ὁπόσα καὶ βούλομαι; εἰ δὲ μετρήσεις τῇ προθυμίᾳ τὴν χάριν, οὐδέν ἐστιν ὅ τι μὴ λήψεται παρ' ἡμῶν. ἀκούσας δέ σε καὶ γάμου φέρειν ζυγόν, εὐξαίμην σου καὶ παῖδας ἰδεῖν τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὸν πατέρα κηρύττοντας. 97 Μακαρίωι Τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνοίας γλυκύ σου καθέστηκε καὶ τὸ σύμβολον, καὶ μιμεῖται τὴν γνώμην τὸ δῶρον τῷ μέλιτι συμπλεκόμενον. λόγων γὰρ γενόμενος ἐραστὴς καὶ τούτων ἐμφορηθεὶς ἔγνως ὡς μέγα δή τι χρῆμα φιλία συμ προϊοῦσα τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ μὴ τῇ διαστάσει δεχομένη τὴν λήθην. ὅθεν σε καὶ πρὶν ἐπαινῶν νῦν ἔτι πλέον τεθαύμακα, ὅτι καὶ μὴ παρὼν καθέστηκας παρα πλήσιος. ἀλλά μοι πρᾶττε καλῶς καὶ τῶν νόμων ἐμφοροῦ καὶ γένοιο δὴ θᾶττον, ἵνα τι καὶ λέξω ποιητικόν "1πατρί τε σῷ μέγα χάρμα πόληί τε, παντί τε δήμῳ"2. 98 ∆ιοδώρωι Τί τοῦτο πέπονθας ὁ πολὺς τὴν γλῶτταν, καὶ μέγα πνέων κατὰ τῶν σιωπώντων; ἑάλως οἷς ἐνεκάλεις, καὶ σεαυτοῦ κατηγορήσας ἐλάνθανες, καὶ τοῖς σεαυτοῦ δικτύοις ἑάλως σαγηνευθείς. ἃ γὰρ ἐμέμψω δράσας οἴκοθεν ἔχεις τὸν ἔλεγχον καὶ τοῖς σεαυτοῦ πτεροῖς ἑάλως, τὴν παροιμίαν παθών. ὥστ' εἴ τι τῶν προσηκόντων ἐγίνετο, τὴν σὴν ἄν σοι πάντως ἐπιστολὴν ἀντεπέθηκα· τάχα γὰρ ἂν ἔγνως ἐπιτιμήσας μὲν ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἁμαρτών, πλημ μελῶν δὲ νῦν ὡς κατηγορήσας οὐδέν. καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ὅτι φιλοτιμησάμενος ὑποδήματα καλά τε λίαν καὶ περὶ πόδα μᾶλλον, ὡς τῇ κωμῳδίᾳ δοκεῖ, καὶ ταῦτα γραμμάτων ἔρημα πέπομφας, μήτε τὸ δέξαι μήτε τὸ χαίρειν εἰπών. καίτοι μεῖζον, ὡς εἰκός, ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐφρόνησας ἢ Κροῖσος ἐκεῖνος τὰς