for the sake of wealth, but for Prohaeresius argument alone was enough, just as the Homeric Hermes escorting Priam to the tent of Achilles10.3.17 even among the enemies. But a certain good fortune was with him, which set a younger proconsul in charge of affairs,10.4.1 who was by reputation indignant at what was happening. And he indeed, with the emperor so permitting, and the vote having turned, returned a second time to Athens, but his enemies, having rallied a second time and banded themselves together, rose up and for the future prepared other10.4.2 stratagems. And they were engaged in these things; and while those who were arranging his return went ahead, Prohaeresius returned (and these things Tuscians the Lydian, who was present, reported accurately, who would have been Prohaeresius, if Prohaeresius had not been Prohaeresius), but having returned, nevertheless, he finds, like some Odysseus arriving after a long time, a few of his companions, among whom was Tuscians, safe and sound, and, at the unbelievable of the10.4.3 wonder, looking toward him; and having found them, and filled with good hopes, he says, "Wait for the proconsul"; but he came faster than hoped. And having arrived in Athens,10.4.4 he both summoned the sophists, and threw everything into confusion. But they came together with difficulty and slowly. But when necessity called, problems were put before them, and each having been brought according to his ability, with applause arranged by entreaty and preparation, they were dismissed, and despondency held the friends of Prohaeresius.10.4.5 But the proconsul, having summoned them a second time as if for honors, orders all to be detained, and suddenly summons Prohaeresius. And they were10.4.6 present, not knowing what was to come. But the proconsul cried out, "I wish, having proposed one question to all of you, to hear you all today; and after you, or as you10.4.7 wish, Prohaeresius also will speak." And when they openly declined the task, and the works of Aristeides after much reflection and labor (for it was necessary for them to say nothing of their own), but nevertheless bringing forth the excuse that they were not of those who vomit forth but of those who are precise, the proconsul, shouting a second time, "Speak," he says,10.4.8 "O Prohaeresius." And he, having discoursed not ungracefully from his seat in a sort of preliminary contest, and having exalted how great an extemporaneous speech is, rose boldly for the contest. Then the proconsul was ready to propose a certain theme, but he, raising10.4.9 his face, looked around the theatre. And when he saw that the hostile part was large, but the friendly part small and almost10.4.10 hidden, he naturally became more discouraged; but as the spirit that danced with him was fervent, looking around at everything, he sees two men, veiled, near the outermost rim of the theatre, of those skilled in rhetoric and by whom he had suffered the greatest of his evils, and crying out, he says, "O gods, here are the best and the wise. Order these men, proconsul, to propose a theme for me; for perhaps they will be persuaded that they have acted impiously."10.4.11 So when they heard this, they sank into the crowd of those seated, and hastened to escape10.4.12 notice. But the proconsul, sending some of the soldiers, brought them into the middle; and having appointed by some exhortation the proposing of the so-called theme, when they, after considering for a short time and conversing with each other, brought forth the harshest and basest theme they knew, and this a common one, and not suitable for rhetorical display, he looked at them like a bull, and to the proconsul:10.4.13 "What I justly ask before the contest, this I beseech you to grant"; and when he said that he would not fail to obtain any just request, he says, "I request that stenographers be given to me, and that those who daily record the tongue of Themis stand in the middle, but today will serve10.5.1 our speeches." And when he permitted the best of the scribes to come forward, they stood on both sides ready for writing, and the
διὰ πλοῦτον, Προαιρεσίῳ δὲ ὁ λόγος ἤρκει μόνος, ὥσπερ ὁ Ὁμηρικὸς Ἑρμῆς ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν τὴν Ἀχιλ10.3.17 λέος κἀν τοῖς πολεμίοις παραπέμπων τὸν Πρίαμον. συνῆν δέ τις αὐτῷ καὶ ἀγαθὴ τύχη νεώτερον ἀνθύπατον κατὰ φήμην ἀγανακτοῦντα ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις ἐπιστήσασα τοῖς πράγ10.4.1 μασιν. καὶ ὁ μέν, οὕτω βασιλέως ἐπιτρέψαντος, καὶ μεταπεσόντος ὀστράκου, κατῄει τὸ δεύτερον εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας, οἱ δὲ ἐχθροί, τὸ δεύτερον αὖθις ἑλιχθέντες καὶ συσπειρασάμενοι καθ' ἑαυτούς, ἀνίσταντο καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἑτέρας 10.4.2 ἐξηρτύοντο μηχανάς. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἦσαν· προηγουμένων δὲ τῶν εὐτρεπιζόντων τὴν κάθοδον, κατελθὼν ὁ Προαιρέσιος (ταῦτα δὲ ἀκριβῶς ὁ Λυδὸς παρὼν Τουσκιανὸς ἐξήγγελλεν, ὃς Προαιρέσιος ἂν ἦν, εἰ μὴ Προαιρέσιος ἦν), κατελθὼν δέ, ὅμως, εὑρίσκει μέν, ὥσπερ τις Ὀδυσσεὺς διὰ μακροῦ παραγενόμενος, ὀλίγους τῶν ἑταίρων, ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ Τουσκιανὸς ἦν, ὑγιαίνοντας, καί, ἐπὶ τῷ ἀπίστῳ τοῦ 10.4.3 θαύματος, τοὺς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον βλέποντας· εὑρὼν δέ, καὶ πληρωθεὶς ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδων "περιμένετε," φησί, "τὸν ἀνθύπατον"· ὁ δὲ θᾶττον ἦλθεν ἐλπίδος. ἀφικόμενος δὲ Ἀθήναζε, 10.4.4 συνεκάλει τε τοὺς σοφιστάς, καὶ διετάραττεν ἅπαντα. οἱ δὲ μόλις μὲν καὶ βάδην συνῄεσαν. ἀνάγκης δὲ καλούσης, προβλήματά τε αὐτοῖς προεβλήθη, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν αὐτῶν ἕκαστος ἐνεχθέντες, ἐκ παρακλήσεως καὶ παρασκευῆς τῶν κρότων συντελουμένων, ἀπηλλάγησαν, καὶ τοὺς Προαι10.4.5 ρεσίου φίλους εἶχεν ἀθυμία. ὁ δὲ ἀνθύπατος αὐτοὺς τὸ δεύτερον ὡς ἐπὶ τιμαῖς συγκαλέσας, ἅπαντας κατασχεθῆναι κελεύει, καὶ τὸν Προαιρέσιον ἐξαπιναίως εἰσκαλεῖ. οἱ δὲ παρ10.4.6 ῆσαν ἀγνοοῦντες τὰ μέλλοντα. ὁ δὲ ἀνθύπατος "βούλομαι" ἀνέκραγε, "πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ἓν ζήτημα προβαλών, πάντων ὑμῶν ἀκροάσασθαι σήμερον· ἐρεῖ δὲ μεθ' ὑμᾶς, ἢ ὅπως ἂν 10.4.7 βούλησθε, καὶ Προαιρέσιος." τῶν δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα φανερῶς παραιτησαμένων, καὶ τὰ Ἀριστείδου μετὰ πολλῆς σκέψεως καὶ πόνου (ἔδει γὰρ μηδὲν ἴδιον αὐτοὺς λέγειν), προενεγκόντων δὲ ὅμως ὡς οὐκ εἰσὶ τῶν ἐμούντων ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀκριβούντων, τὸ δεύτερον ἐμβοήσας ὁ ἀνθύπατος "λέγε," φησίν 10.4.8 "ὦ Προαιρέσιε." ὁ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς καθέδρας εἰς προάγωνά τινα διαλεχθεὶς οὐκ ἀχαρίστως, καὶ τὸν σχέδιον ὅσος ἐστὶν ἐξάρας λόγον, ἀνέστη θαρραλέως ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα. ἐνταῦθα ὁ μὲν ἀνθύπατος ὅρον τινὰ προβαλεῖν ἕτοιμος ἦν, ὁ δὲ ἀν10.4.9 ενεγκὼν τὸ πρόσωπον, περιέβλεπε κύκλῳ τὸ θέατρον. ὡς δὲ πολὺ μὲν ἑώρα τὸ πολέμιον, τὸ δὲ φίλιον μικροῦ καὶ δια 10.4.10 λανθάνον, ἐγένετο μὲν κατὰ λόγον ἀθυμότερος· ζέοντος δὲ τοῦ συγχορεύοντος αὐτῷ δαίμονος, περισκοπῶν ἅπαντα, συγκεκαλυμμένους ὁρᾷ περὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην ἄντυγα τοῦ θεάτρου δύο τινὰς ἄνδρας τῶν περὶ ῥητορικὴν τετριμμένων καὶ ὑφ' ὧν ἐπεπόνθει τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν κακῶν, καὶ ἀναβοήσας "ὦ θεοί," φησίν "ἐνταῦθα οἱ βέλτιστοι καὶ σοφοί. τούτους ἐμοὶ κέλευσον, ἀνθύπατε, προβαλεῖν· ἴσως γὰρ ὅτι ἠσέβη10.4.11 σαν πεισθήσονται." οἱ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες, εἰς τὸν ὄχλον τε τῶν καθημένων κατεδύοντο, καὶ διαλανθάνειν 10.4.12 ἔσπευδον. ὁ δὲ ἀνθύπατος, διαπέμψας τινὰς τῶν στρατιωτῶν, εἰς μέσον αὐτοὺς περιήγαγε· καὶ καταστήσας ἔκ τινος προτροπῆς τὸ προβαλεῖν τὸν καλούμενον ὅρον, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, βραχύν τινα χρόνον σκεψάμενοι καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαλεχθέντες, τὸν τραχύτατον ὧν ᾔδεσαν καὶ φαυλότατον ἐξήνεγκαν, ἰδιωτικὸν καὶ τοῦτον, καὶ οὐ βάσιμον ῥητορικῇ πομπείᾳ, ταυρηδὸν μὲν αὐτοὺς ὑπέβλεψε, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀνθύ10.4.13 πατον· "ἃ πρὸ τοῦ ἀγῶνος αἰτῶ δίκαια, ταῦτά σε ἱκετεύω δοῦναι"· τοῦ δὲ εἰπόντος ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀτυχήσει δικαίου, "ἀξιῶ" φησί "δοθῆναί μοι τοὺς ταχέως γράφοντας, καὶ στῆναι κατὰ τὸ μέσον οἳ καθ' ἡμέραν μὲν τὴν τῆς Θέμιδος γλῶτταν ἀποσημαίνονται, σήμερον δὲ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ὑπη10.5.1 ρετήσονται λόγοις." τοῦ δὲ παρελθεῖν τοὺς ἄκρους τῶν γραφέων ἐπιτρέψαντος, οἱ μὲν ἑκατέρωθεν ἔστησαν ἐς τὴν γραφὴν ἕτοιμοι, καὶ τὸ