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playthings, as it ever refashions our affairs according to its whim and allows nothing to remain fixed in its form, of these things I will be silent to a man who has long ago condemned earthly things and conquers fortune through what he disdains, wishing to marvel at none of her works; but this one thing I will remind you, that nothing is so much our own as we are our own. And what are we? Surely not this fluid body, nor a flood of possessions, nor all that provides strength to fortune, but a rational soul, bound to the body for whatever reasons. Therefore, those who have learned to think aright have stripped themselves of everything besides this, as if it were a foreign burden, believing that these things have no relation to their own being, and they made nothing an obstacle to their judgment, not the torture of the body, not the loss of possessions, not the difficulty of the times, but returning to themselves they were free and guarded against one loss, that of falling from virtue and being placed in the rank of a slave through desire for money and sparing of the body, unworthily subjecting the better to the worse and admiring insolent men who are rich in everything rather than in themselves. Whence one, using his body as something alien, spoke that free word, saying "1Pound,"2 "1pound the pouch of Anaxarchus, for you will never pound Anaxarchus himself"2; and another, having voluntarily thrown away his possessions, said "1Crates"2 "1frees Crates"2. These and such things are of a truly noble soul, which tramples on its own pleasures and knows not how to change with the times. Remember then, as Epictetus says, that you are an actor in a drama of such a kind as the poet may choose; and to Plato also, I believe, it seems that the wise man is happy, even if all things not in his control should go badly. For when the things in our power go well, there is of course little concern for external things. For those are carried by another current. 160 To Philip, brother I longed for the one bringing you this letter for other reasons, but not least because, ever mindful of you for good things, he has finally become the cause of my letter to you, saying it would be a terrible thing if he should appear to you destitute of letters from me. But you at least send us one letter in return, and in the fifth year, break the silence along with the Pythagoreans. For we have become like the bronze cauldron of Dodona, wishing to move you to words. 161 To Evagrius How the words are of one who longs greatly and has resolved to crown his favorite with victory over all. For in your letters I conquered not only those of the present day, but also, which it is not right to say, Demosthenes was defeated, and Thucydides held second place, and sweet Herodotus was ranked with these, since I was such in your words, I smiled to myself and said, "1Nothing"2 "1is stronger than the dominion of Love. For my dearest friend, possessed by goodwill toward me, has become ignorant of my affairs, and he suffers something similar to one who would present the pointy-headed man in Homer—what else but Thersites?—as the first of the Greeks in appearance, better perhaps than Nireus himself, who "was the most handsome man that came to Troy." But for me it is the greatest praise if I should seem to know those whom I have conquered with you as judge. Therefore, admiring your goodwill, I dedicated my words to the Loves, excusing myself to the circle of the Paeanian if desire persuades men to say whatever they also wish to say, and especially those who pride themselves on the strength of their words. But I will turn to this moderate prayer, saying, "1May you be fortunate,"2 "1O dearest friend, and may you be as victorious in the laws as you have been in your words."2 162 To Nilus You were, it seems, a clever man at making small things great and displaying an invincible tongue in what you wish. For you fabricated so many praises against me, and you delivered them so easily as one could not readily speak starting from the truth. And you seem to me to have poured forth with such a tongue, wishing perhaps to show what sort of person you were while remaining unnoticed. For perhaps you think that it went unnoticed while you were present how great a Muse you nurtured, originating from the orators. But I knew you well even when you were present, yet I did not praise you as much as I ought while you were practicing with me, lest the praises, having slackened your zeal

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παίγνια, μεταποιούσης ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν τὰ ἡμέτερα καὶ μηδὲν ἑστάναι συγχωρού σης ἐπὶ τοῦ σχήματος, ταῦτα μὲν σιωπήσω πρὸς ἄνδρα πάλαι κατεγνωκότα τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τὴν τύχην νικῶντα δι' ὧν ὑπερορᾷ, μηδὲν ἐκείνης θαυμάζειν ἐθέλων· τοσοῦτον δὲ μόνον ὑπομνήσω, ὡς οὐδὲν οὕτως ἡμέτερον ὡς ἡμεῖς ἑαυτῶν. τί δὲ ἡμεῖς; οὐ σῶμα δήπου τοῦτό γε τὸ ῥευστόν, οὐδὲ χρημάτων ὕθλος, οὐδ' ὅσα τὴν ἰσχὺν παρασκευάζει τῇ τύχῃ, ἀλλὰ ψυχὴ λογικὴ δι' οὕστινας δὴ λόγους πεπεδημένη τῷ σώματι. ὅθεν οἱ φρονεῖν ἐγνωκότες τὰ δέοντα πᾶν ὁτιοῦν παρὰ ταύτην ἀπεσκευάζοντο ὥσπερ ἄχθος ἀλλότριον, μηδὲν πρὸς ἰδίαν οὐσίαν ταῦτα τείνειν ἡγούμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐποιοῦντο τῆς γνώμης ἐμπόδιον, οὐ σώματος αἰκισμόν, οὐ χρημάτων ἀποβολήν, οὐ καιροῦ δυσκολίαν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀνατρέχοντες ἐλεύθεροί τε ἦσαν καὶ μίαν ηὐλα βοῦντο ζημίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκπεσεῖν καὶ χρημάτων πόθῳ καὶ φειδοῖ τοῦ σώματος ἐν ἀνδραπόδου λόγῳ τετάχθαι, τὸ κρεῖττον ἀναξίως ὑποβαλόντες τῷ χείρονι καὶ θαυμάζοντες ἄνδρας ὑβριστὰς πάντα μᾶλλον πλουτοῦντας ἤπερ αὐτούς. ὅθεν ὁ μὲν ὡς ἀλλοτρίῳ κεχρημένος τῷ σώματι τὴν ἐλευθέραν ἐκείνην φωνὴν "1πτίσσε"2 λέγων "1πτίσσε τὸν Ἀναξάρχου θύλακον, αὐτὸν γὰρ Ἀνάξαρχον οὔποτε πτίσσεις"2· ὁ δὲ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐκβολὴν αὐθαί ρετον ποιησάμενος "1Κράτης"2 ἔλεγε "1Κράτητα ἐλευθεροῖ"2. ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοι αῦτα γενναίας ὄντως ψυχῆς, ἥτις ἑαυτῆς ἐστὶ πατοῦσα τὰς ἡδονὰς καὶ τοῖς καιροῖς οὐκ οἶδε συμμετατίθεσθαι. μέμνησο τοίνυν, ὡς Ἐπικτήτῳ δοκεῖ, ὅτι ὑποκριτὴς εἶ δράματος οὗ ἂν ἐθέλῃ ὁ ποιητής· καὶ Πλάτωνι δέ που δοκεῖ, ὡς ὁ σοφὸς εὐδαίμων, κἂν πάντα δὴ τὰ μὴ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πράττῃ κακῶς. ἡνίκα γὰρ τὰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν εὐπραγῇ, τῶν ἔξωθεν δήπουθεν ὀλίγη φροντίς. ἑτέρῳ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα φέρεται ῥεύματι. 160 Φιλίππωι ἀδελφῶι Τὸν ταύτην ὑμῖν κομίζοντα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν καὶ ἄλλως μὲν ἐπόθουν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ὅτιπερ ὑμῶν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς ἀεὶ μεμνημένος τέλος καὶ τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστολῆς ἐμοὶ γέγονεν αἴτιος, δεινὸν εἶναι φάσκων εἰ τῶν ἐξ ἐμοῦ γραμ μάτων ἔρημος ὑμῖν ἐπιφαίνοιτο. σὺ δὲ γοῦν μίαν ἡμῖν ἀντεπίθες ἐπιστολήν, καὶ λῦσον ἔτει πέμπτῳ μετὰ τῶν Πυθαγορείων τὴν σιωπήν. ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ ∆ωδώνης χαλκεῖον γεγόναμεν, κινῆσαί σε πρὸς λόγους βουλόμενοι. 161 Εὐαγρίωι Ὡς ποθοῦντος ἄγαν οἱ λόγοι καὶ τῇ κατὰ πάντων νίκῃ στεφανοῦν ἐγνωκότος τὰ παιδικά. ὡς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς σοῖς γράμμασιν οὐ τοὺς νῦν μόνον ἐνίκων, ἀλλὰ καί, ὃ μὴ θέμις εἰπεῖν, καὶ ∆ημοσθένης ἥττητο, καὶ Θουκυδίδης εἶχε τὰ δεύτερα, καὶ ὁ γλυκὺς Ἡρόδοτος μετὰ τούτων ἐτάττετο, ὡς οὖν τοιοῦτος ἦν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, μειδιάσας πρὸς ἐμαυτόν "1οὐδέν"2 ἔφην "1τῆς Ἔρωτος δυναστείας σφοδρότερον. τῆς γὰρ περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνοίας κάτοχος ὁ φίλτατος γεγονὼς ἠγνόησέ μου τὰ πράγματα, καὶ πάσχει τι παραπλήσιον ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν φοξὸν παρ' Ὁμήρῳ καὶ τί γὰρ ἕτερον ἢ Θερσίτην πρῶτον Ἑλλήνων εἰς θέαν ἀπέφηνε, κρείττονα καὶ αὐτοῦ τάχα τοῦ Νιρέως, ὃς "κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθεν". ἐμοὶ δὲ μέγιστος ἔπαινος εἰ τούτους ἐγνωκέναι δοκοίην, οὓς παρὰ σοὶ κριτῇ νενικήκαμεν. ὅθεν σου θαυμάσας τὴν εὔνοιαν τοὺς λόγους ἀνετίθην τοῖς Ἔρωσι, τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Παιανιέα παραιτησάμενος εἰ πόθος ἀνθρώπους ἀναπείθει λέγειν ὁπόσα καὶ λέγειν ἐθέλουσι, καὶ μάλιστα δὴ τούτους ὁπόσοι λόγων ἐναβρύνονται ῥώμῃ. ἀλλὰ πρὸς εὐχὴν καὶ ταύτην μετρίαν τραπήσομαι "1εὐτυχοίης"2 λέγων "1ὦ φίλτατε, καὶ νικῴης τοῖς νόμοις ὁπόσα τοῖς λόγοις νενίκηκας"2. 162 Νείλωι ∆εινὸς ἄρα τις ἦσθα τὰ σμικρὰ μεγάλα ποιεῖν καὶ γλῶτταν ἄμαχον ἐν οἷς ἐθέλεις ἐνδείκνυσθαι. τοσούτους γὰρ ἐπαίνους ἀνέπλασας κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ οὕτως εὐκόλως ἀπήγγειλας ὡς οὐκ ἄν τις εἶπε ῥᾳδίως ἐξ ἀληθείας ὁρμώ μενος. καί μοι δοκεῖς τοσαύτῃ χυθῆναι τῇ γλώττῃ, δεῖξαι τάχα βουληθεὶς οἷος ὑπάρχων ἐλάνθανες. οἴει γὰρ ἴσως ἠγνοῆσθαι παρὼν ὁπόσην ἀνεθρέψω Μοῦσαν ἐκ ῥητόρων ὁρμώμενος. ἐγὼ δέ σε καὶ παρόντα καλῶς ἠπιστάμην, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅσον ἐχρῆν ἐπῄνουν παρ' ἐμοὶ γυμναζόμενον, τοῦ μὴ τοὺς ἐπαί νους τὴν προθυμίαν ἐκλύσαντας