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offering wonderful ingots to the Pythian. It shows that having long ago received these from the craftsman, you are always waiting and aiming for the right moment, so that when the festival comes, I might take these and go forth, shouting out my generosity to the onlookers. Whence, learning of your passion, I went forth like the Homeric Ajax, taking long strides, and I stamped the earth, turning the spectator's gaze toward my feet, and if anyone seeing them did not want to, I considered him an insolent fellow and finally forced him to look, and though no one asked from where I got them, I proclaimed, "1Diodorus is the giver."2 And through it all, there was laughter at my bad taste, but for you, the fame of your goodwill. Such benefits I reaped from your fine shoes, almost walking on my head, so that the gift would be in a good position for viewing. 99 To Epiphanius I think you are greatly wondering what on earth has happened now that I am at last beginning a letter. But if you wish to learn the reason for this, Strategius is campaigning against you with his words, and he proceeds with much abuse, and extends a long accusation, and has made my house a courtroom. And what is greatest, for just like the clever orators, he is not content with the present charges alone, but mixes old with new, and stirs up ancient tales, and offers the entire city of Alexander as a witness against you, recounting chariot races and zeal for dice and public conversations about horses and whatever might ever occur to him to say. But even now he says you are devoted to horses and always sit beside those able to feed them, and that you have taken up the art of flatterers to gratify your stomach. I could not say at once all the things he repeatedly pours into my ears. The reason, he says, is "1I am naked"2, "1as far as he is concerned."2 Only one cloak was left to me for my burial, and because of him it has been spent. For he says, "1Having taken worked flax, on the pretense of showing it as a cloak from the hands of his own maidservants, he has left me more naked than Irus; a long time has passed,"2 he says, "1and I am stretched out by my hopes."2 If, therefore, you care to make his tongue gentler, and to free my ears, send a cloak as quickly as possible. But if not ... but I cannot bear to say what things he might say, a man who, even having nothing to complain about, has made his life a stream of nonsense. And if he should get hold of some just cause, you would say that passion dwells in his tongue. 100 To Zacharias and Philip, brothers The change of the weather, which brought us a necessary silence, now convicts a silence of choice. Therefore, compete with your letters, writing as many as we want. And we want no one to come to us not bearing letters. For whoever comes and says these common things, like "1they were busy, you know,"2, or "1they were about to write,"2, or "1I set sail suddenly,"2, will depart, having been judged by me, the judge, as lazy in friendship. But if I blame those who do not bring them for these things, how much do you think I blame you who do not give them? 101 To Zacharias, brother With how much ambition you filled me by lifting up your small letter, and the one you yourself would call Laconic. Behold, for you I now appear pompous and I have become a Spartan in the flesh, and for me Lycurgus is everything, but Solon nothing. I almost even let out a Doric cry, having forgotten that Attic tongue. And my fatherland, being partly walled, grieves me, because it is not an image of unwalled Sparta. Such things a good orator can do, drawing one toward whatever passion he wishes. But if you praise me again as an Attic, see that I do not deny Sparta again, so am I drawn along by the desire for your letters. But mind you do not, wanting to jest, praise Egypt, lest I become an Egyptian in my speech. Therefore, forbear, by Zeus; for I cannot help but admire whatever you do. 102 To Gessius, the iatrosophist I was pleased that the good Dorotheus, whom I formerly recommended to you by letter, you yourselves, in a reversal, have written to recommend to me. For what could be a greater proof that our letter proceeded according to our hopes? And having come to us he wished to speak of nothing but you, both wanting to please me and delighting in the memory of your company, and he had you much on his lips as being well-disposed, as good, as for his tongue

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θαυ μαστὰς δὴ πλίνθους τῷ Πυθίῳ δωρούμενος. δηλοῖ δὲ τὸ πάλαι σε ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ κομισάμενον μέλλειν ἀεὶ καὶ καταστοχάζεσθαι τοῦ καιροῦ, ὅπως ἂν ἐρχομένης τῆς πανηγύρεως ταῦτα λαβὼν προέλθω τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὴν φιλοτιμίαν βοῶν. ὅθεν σου τὸ πάθος μαθὼν προῄειν κατὰ τὸν Ὁμηρικὸν Αἴαντα μακρὰ βιβάς, καὶ κατεκρότουν τὴν γῆν ἐπιστρέφων πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τὸν θεατήν, καὶ εἴ τις ὁρῶν οὐκ ἐβούλετο, ὑβριστὴν τοῦτον ἐδόκουν καὶ τέλος ὁρᾶν κατηνάγκαζον, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐρωτῶντος ὁπόθεν ἔχω λαβών, "1∆ιόδωρος ὁ δούς"2 ἀνεκήρυττον. καὶ διὰ πάντων ὑπῆρχεν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀπειροκαλίας γέλως, ἐπὶ σοὶ δὲ τῆς εὐνοίας ἡ φήμη. τοιαῦτά σοι τῶν καλῶν ὑποδημάτων ἀπέλαυσα, μικροῦ δεῖν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν βαδίσας, ὅπως ἐν καλῷ τῆς θέας ἔσται τὸ δῶρον. 99 Ἐπιφανίωι Οἶμαί σε ποιεῖσθαι λίαν ἐν θαύματι τί δῆτα νῦν παθὼν ἤδη καὶ γραμμάτων κατάρχομαι. τούτου δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν εἰ βούλει μαθεῖν, Στρατήγιος τοῖς λόγοις στρατεύεται κατὰ σοῦ, καὶ πολὺς μὲν ταῖς λοιδορίαις χωρεῖ, μακρὰν δὲ κατατείνει κατηγορίαν, καὶ δικαστήριόν μοι τὴν οἰκίαν πεποίηται. τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ δεινοὶ τῶν ῥητόρων, οὐκ ἀρκεῖται τοῖς παροῦσι μόνον ἐγκλήμασιν, ἀλλὰ μίγνυσι παλαιὰ καινοῖς, καὶ μύθους ἀρχαίους ἀνακινεῖ, καὶ μάρτυρα κατὰ σοῦ πόλιν ὅλην τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου παρέχεται, θέας ἱππικὰς διηγούμενος καὶ κύβων σπουδὴν καὶ διαλόγους περὶ τῶν ἵππων δημοτικοὺς καὶ ἅττ' ἄν ποτε τούτῳ λέγειν ἐπέλθῃ. ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν σε τοῖς ἵπποις ἀνακεῖσθαί φησι καὶ τοῖς τρέφειν δυναμένοις παρεδρεύειν ἀεὶ καὶ τέχνην σε κολάκων ἐπανῃρῆσθαι τῇ γαστρὶ χαριζόμενον. οὐκ ἂν δυναί μην εἰς ἅπαξ εἰπεῖν ὅσα δὴ πολλάκις ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἀκοαῖς ἐπαντλεῖ. τὸ δὲ αἴτιον "1γυμνός"2 φησι "1τὸ τούτου μέρος ἐγώ"2. ἓν μόνον μοι ἱμάτιον ὑπελείπετο πρὸς ταφήν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτον ἀνάλωται. λίνον γάρ φησιν "1εἰργασμένον λαβών, ὡς δὴ χερσὶ τῶν αὑτοῦ θεραπαινίδων ἀποδείξων ἱμάτιον, Ἴρου με παρεῖδε γυμνότερον· χρόνος πολύς"2 φησι "1καὶ παρατέ ταμαι ταῖς ἐλπίσιν"2. εἰ τοίνυν σοι μέλει τὴν ἐκείνου γλῶτταν πραοτέραν ἐργάσασθαι, καὶ τὰς ἐμὰς ἐλευθεροῦν ἀκοάς, ὡς τάχος πέμπε θοιμάτιον. εἰ δὲ μή ... ἀλλ' οὐ φέρω λέγειν ὅσα καὶ λέξειεν ὃς καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν φλυαρίαν τὸν βίον πεποίηται. εἰ δὲ καὶ προσλάβοι τι δίκαιον, εἴποις ἂν αὐτοῦ τῇ γλώττῃ τὸν θυμὸν ἐνοικεῖν. 100 Ζαχαρίαι καὶ Φιλίππωι ἀδελφοῖσ Τοῦ ἀέρος ἡ τροπὴ τὴν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡμῖν ἀναφέρουσα σιγήν, τὴν ἐκ προ αιρέσεως διελέγχει λοιπόν. οὐκοῦν ἁμιλλᾶσθε ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς, τοσαῦτα γράφοντες ὁπόσα βουλόμεθα. βουλόμεθα δὲ μηδένα πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἰέναι μὴ κομίζοντα γράμματα. ὃς γὰρ ἂν ἐλθὼν εἴπῃ τὰ κοινὰ ταῦτα, ὡς "1ἠσχόληντο δή"2, ὡς "1γράφειν ἔμελλον"2, ὡς ἐξαίφνης ἀνέπλευσα"2, ἄπεισι παρ' ἐμοὶ κριτῇ ῥάθυμος περὶ φιλίαν κριθείς. εἰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς μὴ κομίζοντας μέμφομαι, πόσον οἴεσθε τοὺς μὴ διδόντας ὑμᾶς; 101 Ζαχαρίαι ἀδελφῶι Ὅσης με τῆς φιλοτιμίας ἐνέπλησας τὴν σμικρὰν ἐξάρας ἐπιστολὴν καὶ τὴν ὡς ἂν αὐτὸς εἴποις Λακωνικήν. ἰδοὺ δή σοι καὶ σοβαρὸν ὁρῶ καὶ Σπαρτιάτης αὐτόχρημα γεγένημαι, καί μοι πάντα Λυκοῦργος, ὁ δὲ Σόλων οὐδέν. μικροῦ δεῖν καὶ ∆ωρικὴν ἀφῆκα φωνήν, τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἐκείνης εἰς λήθην ἐλθών. λυπεῖ δέ με καὶ πατρὶς ἐκ μέρους τετειχισμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ τῆς ἀτειχίστου Σπάρτης [ἐστὶν] εἰκών. τοιαῦτα δύναται ῥήτωρ ἀγαθός, πρὸς πάθος ἕλκων οἷον καὶ βούλεται. εἰ δέ με πάλιν ὡς Ἀττικὸν ἐπαινέσεις, ὅρα μὴ τὴν Σπάρτην αὖθις ἀρνήσωμαι, οὕτω τῷ πόθῳ τῶν σῶν γραμμάτων μεθέλκομαι. ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ παίζειν ἐθέλων ἐπαινέσῃς τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ γενοίμην Αἰγύπ τιος. οὐκοῦν φεῖσαι πρὸς ∆ιός· οὐ γὰρ ἔχω μὴ θαυμάζειν ὁπόσα καὶ σύ. 102 Γεσσίωι ἰατροσοφιστῆι Ἥσθην ὅτι τὸν καλὸν ∆ωρόθεον, ὃν ὑμῖν διὰ γραμμάτων συνέστησα πρότερον, τοῦτον ἐκ μεταβολῆς αὐτοί μοι συνιστῶντες ἐγράψατε. τί γὰρ ἂν εἴη μεῖζον τεκμήριον τοῦ κατ' ἐλπίδας ἡμῖν χωρῆσαι τὰ γράμματα; ἐλθὼν δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἤθελε λέγειν ὅτι μὴ σέ, κἀμοὶ χαριεῖσθαι θέλων καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν σῶν εὐφραινόμενος, καί σε πολὺν ἐπὶ στόματος ἦγεν ὡς εὔνουν ὡς ἀγαθὸν ὡς γλώττῃ