Procopius of Gaza, Letters

while consoling others you yourself will need someone to heal you. I was led to jest these things to you and to put into my letter the laughter which I endured when reading your letter. But you, giving in a little to the emotion, write a sensible letter from now on. 107 To Sosianus and Julius What sort of things happened to me when I received your letter, it is not amiss to relate to you. For recently a certain man, wishing to be wise in heavenly matters and having a skill, as he said, to foretell future events from the stars, suddenly meeting me and putting the calculation on his fingers, says, "1how fortunate"2 "1you unknowingly are; something great and brilliant is about to happen to you unexpectedly"2. And I, having heard these things, was imagining Plutus himself, my mind was full of dignities, and my attitude was more grand than the fortune in my hopes. Therefore, as I was in this state, someone approaching gave me your letter, and I said, "1this"2 "1is it; the word has come to pass; for having learned good news for me, they hasten to report it before others. For what else could have happened that they would write to me so unexpectedly now"2? But when I came upon the contents and read of rejected reeds and a most dishonorable trade, I said to myself, "1alas, alas,"2 "1I have had an unexpected stroke of luck. As the saying goes, 'from horses to donkeys' we have descended. Alas, fortune knows how to make all things new, but I never would have hoped to become a seller of reeds, sitting under a hut. These things Zeus, as it seems, rising, grants to me."2 And laughter at me ran through the hearers, and one says, "1receive the man"2 "1and the bird of god"2. 108 To Nephalius You have caused us no ordinary anxieties, neither being present according to your former promises, nor indicating the reason through letters, so that we for our part are proceeding to strange thoughts, lest something of the things to be prayed against has happened to you. And now a certain rumor has disturbed us, saying what it in fact says. May it indeed be a rumor and bring nothing more. If, therefore, it is of any concern to you to bring us to good cheer, at least give back the consolation that comes from letters. 109 To Silanus ... instead of modesty there was licentiousness, instead of the bridal chamber, lamentations, instead of lawful persuasion, violence and a raised sword. If, then, someone of wealth or power ... happened to be the one daring these things, it would be terrible even then—for how is it not terrible under a state and laws, when we are the rulers, to have abductions, O Zeus?—but there would have been some consolation for the matter. But now this is the sum of our misfortunes, for the one who dared these things is not even easily known from where he is, but the suffering has made him very well known to us. But stop, O wisest one, the lamentation for those who have suffered; give back a daughter to her mother's arms, so that the insolent may know that Justice exists and pursues wrongdoers. Show to those who honor modesty that there is benefit from laws when men in authority know how to command against wickedness. 110 To Diodorus You mock our silence, but I cannot bear your arrogance, because of which you perhaps think you are someone distinguished, if you appear to us after a very long time, and you often put a speech in our mouths, "1When will he come to us, the handsome one, the one pleasant to see, the one who eclipses the Sirens with his delights, the one who overlooks his fatherland to save Caesar's city?"2 You think we invent such tales, always exhausting us with your delay, and with yourself you certainly express the maxim that rarity always intensifies the desire of those who seek. This is why you overlook us. And this is not the terrible thing, although it is such, but you also hold our ancestral festivals in no esteem. But often after instilling hopes that you would come, you then backed out again and we were deceived. So it has been decided that we should even send an embassy and summon our benefactor. For thus you rejoice to be called. But appear at last, O best of men, to celebrate the festival with us. But if you are waiting for the embassy, it is time for you to remain there. For there is no one to summon you. 111 To Diodorus As for the most devout Timothy, his habit calls him to quiet, but the painful things of fortune bring on necessity and command him to go to you. For he has a father who is in want from a change of fortune, and brothers who are grieving in number and in time; for being many and short in age they look to their father's hands. From this there are many creditors, but except

τοὺς ἄλλους παραμυθούμενος αὐτὸς δεήσῃ τοῦ θεραπεύοντος. ταῦτα παίζειν ὑπήχθην πρός σε καὶ τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐνθεῖναι τὸν γέλωτα ὃν ὑπέστην ἀναγινώσκων σου τὴν ἐπιστολήν. σὺ δὲ μικρὸν τοῦ πάθους ἐνδοὺς γράφε λοιπὸν σωφρονοῦσαν ἐπιστολήν. 107 Σωσιανῶι καὶ Ἰουλίωι Οἷά μοι συνέβη δεξαμένῳ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐπιστολήν, οὐ χεῖρον πρὸς ὑμᾶς διηγήσασθαι. πρῴην γάρ τις τὰ οὐράνια σοφὸς εἶναι βουλόμενος καὶ τέχνην ἔχων, ὡς ἔλεγεν, ἐκ τῶν ἀστέρων προλέγειν τὰ μέλλοντα, περιτυχὼν ἐξαίφνης ἐμοὶ καὶ θεὶς ἐπὶ δακτύλων τὴν ψῆφον, "1ὡς εὐτυχής"2 φησιν "1ὑπάρχων ἐλάνθανες· μέγα τί σοι καὶ λαμπρὸν ὅσον οὔπω παρ' ἐλπίδα γενήσεται"2. ἐγὼ δὲ τούτων ἀκούσας τὸν Πλοῦτον ἐφανταζόμην αὐτόν, ἀξιωμάτων ἔγεμον τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ τῆς ἐν ἐλπίσι τύχης σοβαρωτέραν εἶχον τὴν γνώμην. ὡς οὖν οὕτως ἔχοντί μοι προσιών τις ἐπεδίδου τὰ ὑμέτερα γράμματα, "1τοῦτο"2 ἔφην "1ἐκεῖνο· προῆλθεν εἰς ἔργον ὁ λόγος· χρηστὰ γάρ μοι μαθόντες μηνύειν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπείγονται. τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ παθόντες οὕτω νῦν παρ' ἐλπίδας ἐπέστελλον"2; ὡς δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον ἐντυχὼν κάλαμον ἀνέγνων ἀπόβλητον καὶ ἐμπορίαν ἀτιμοτάτην, "1ἰοὺ ἰού"2 πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἔφην, "1παρ' ἐλπίδας εὐτύχηκα. τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, "ἀφ' ἵππων ἐπ' ὄνους" μεταβεβήκαμεν. πάντα μὲν οἴμοι καινίζειν οἶδεν ἡ τύχη, ἀλλ' οὔποτ' ἂν ἤλπισα καλάμων γενέσθαι πρατὴρ ὑπὸ καλύβῃ καθήμενος. ταῦτά μοι Ζεὺς ὡς ἔοικεν ἀνατέλλων χαρίζεται."2 καὶ γέλως διὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐπέτρεχεν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ καὶ "1δέχου τὸν ἄνδρα"2 φησί "1καὶ τὸν ὄρνιν τοῦ θεοῦ"2. 108 Νηφαλίωι Οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ἡμῖν φροντίδας ἐμπεποίηκας, μήτε παρὼν κατὰ τὰς πρὶν ὑποσχέσεις, μήτε τὴν αἰτίαν διὰ γραμμάτων μηνύσας, ὡς ἡμῶν λοιπὸν καὶ πρὸς ἀτόπους ἐννοίας χωρεῖς μή τι γέγονε τῶν ἀπευκταίων ὑμῖν. νυνὶ δὲ καὶ φήμη τις ἐπετάραξε λέγουσα μὲν ἃ δὴ καὶ λέγει. γένοιτο δὴ φήμη καὶ πλέον φέροι μηδέν. εἰ οὖν τί σοι μέλει πρὸς εὐθυμίαν ἄγειν ἡμᾶς, τὴν γοῦν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων παραμυθίαν ἀπόδος. 109 Σιλανῶι ... παρῆν ἀντὶ σωφροσύνης ἀσέλγεια, ἀντὶ παστάδος οἱ θρῆνοι, ἀντὶ νομίμου πειθοῦς βία καὶ ξίφος αἰρόμενον. εἰ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐπὶ πλούτῳ τις ἢ καὶ δυναστείᾳ ... ἐτύγχανεν ὁ ταῦτα τολμῶν, δεινὸν μὲν καὶ τότε πῶς γὰρ οὐ δεινὸν ἐν πολιτείᾳ καὶ νόμοις αἰχμαλωσίας ἡμῶν ἀρχόντων, ὦ Ζεῦ; ἦν δ' ἄν τις ὅμως παραμυθία τῷ πράγματι. νυνὶ δὲ τῶν συμφορῶν ἐστι τὸ κεφάλαιον, ὁ γὰρ ταῦτα τολμήσας οὐδ' ὅθεν ἐστὶ ῥᾳδίως γιγνώσκε ται, ἡμῖν δὲ τὸ πάθος καὶ μάλα κατέστησε γνώριμον. ἀλλὰ στῆσον, ὦ σοφώ τατε, τοῖς πεπονθόσι τὸν θρῆνον· ἀπόδος κόλποις μητρὸς θυγατέρα, ἵνα γνῶσιν οἱ παροινοῦντες ὡς ἔστι ∆ίκη καὶ πλημμελοῦντας μετέρχεται. δεῖξον τοῖς σωφροσύνην τιμῶσιν ὡς ἐστι νόμων ὄφελος ἄνδρες ἐν ἀρχῇ κακίας στρατηγεῖν ἐπιστάμενοι. 110 ∆ιοδώρωι Σὺ μὲν ἡμῶν σκώπτεις τὴν σιωπήν, ἐγὼ δέ σου τὴν ἀλαζονείαν φέρειν οὐκ ἔχω, δι' ἣν ἴσως οἴει τις εἶναι σεμνός, ἢν ἡμῖν διὰ πλείστου φανῇς, καί που λόγον πολλάκις ἐμβάλῃς ἡμῖν "1πότε πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ καλός, ὁ τὴν θέαν ἡδύς, ὁ τὰς Σειρῆνας ἀποκρύπτων ταῖς ἡδοναῖς, ὁ τὴν πατρίδα παρορῶν ἵνα σώσῃ τὴν Καίσαρος;"2 τοιαῦτα λογοποιεῖν ἡμᾶς ἡγῇ τῇ μελλήσει κατα τείνων ἀεί, καὶ παρὰ σαυτῷ πάντως γνωμολογεῖς, ὡς τὸ σπάνιον ἀεὶ τοῖς ζητοῦσιν ἐπιτείνει τὸν πόθον. ὅθεν ἡμᾶς παρορᾷς. καὶ οὐ τοῦτο δεινόν, καίπερ ὂν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πατρίους πανηγύρεις ἐν οὐδενὶ λόγῳ ποιῇ. ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἐμβαλὼν ἐλπίδας ὡς ἥξεις, εἶτα πάλιν ἀνέδυς καὶ δι εψεύσμεθα. ὥστε δέδοκται καὶ πρεσβείαν πέμπειν ἡμᾶς καὶ καλεῖν τὸν εὐερ γέτην. οὕτω γὰρ χαίρεις λεγόμενος. ἀλλὰ φάνηθι μόλις, ὦ λῷστε, τὴν μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιτελέσων πανήγυριν. εἰ δὲ τὴν πρεσβείαν περιμένεις, ὥρα σοι κατα μένειν ἐκεῖ. τῶν γὰρ καλούντων οὐδείς. 111 ∆ιοδώρωι Τὸν εὐλαβέστατον Τιμόθεον τὸ μὲν σχῆμα πρὸς ἡσυχίαν καλεῖ, τὰ δὲ τῆς τύχης λυπηρὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην ἐπάγοντα καὶ τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἰέναι κελεύει. τούτῳ γάρ ἐστι πατὴρ ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἀπορῶν, ἀδελφοὶ δὲ πλήθει καὶ χρόνῳ λυποῦντες· πολλοὶ γὰρ ὄντες καὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν βραχεῖς εἰς τὰς τοῦ πατρὸς χεῖρας ὁρῶσιν. ἐντεῦθεν χρῆσται μὲν πολλοί, ἀλλὰ πλὴν