Letter CXXXVII.711    Placed in 373.

To Antipater, on his assuming the governorship of Cappadocia.712    Compare Letters clxxxvi. and clxxxvii.

I do now really feel the loss which I suffer from being ill; so that, when such a man succeeds to the government of my country, my having to nurse myself compels me to be absent.  For a whole month I have been undergoing the treatment of natural hot springs, in the hope of drawing some benefit from them.  But I seem to be troubling myself to no purpose in my solitude, or indeed to be deservedly a laughing stock to mankind, for not heeding the proverb which says “warmth is no good to the dead.”  Even situated as I am, I am very anxious to put aside everything else, and betake myself to your excellency, that I may enjoy the benefit of all your high qualities, and through your goodness settle all my home affairs here in a proper manner.  The house of our reverend mother Palladia is my own, for I am not only nearly related to her, but regard her as a mother on account of her character.  Now, as some disturbance has been raised about her house, I ask your excellency to postpone the enquiry for a little while, and to wait till I come; not at all that justice may not be done, for I had rather die ten thousand times than ask a favour of that kind from a judge who is a friend of law and right, but that you may learn from me by word of mouth matters which it would be unbecoming for me to write.  If you do so you will in no wise fail in fealty to the truth, and we shall suffer no harm.  I beg you then to keep the individual in question713    Possibly the person to whom the disturbance at Palladia’s house was due. in safe custody under the charge of the troops, and not refuse to grant me this harmless favour.

ΑΝΤΙΠΑΤΡῼ ΗΓΕΜΟΝΙ

[1] Νῦν μοι δοκῶ μάλιστα ἐπαισθάνεσθαι τῆς ζημίας ἣν ὑπομένω διὰ τὸ ἀρρωστεῖν, ὁπότε ἀνδρὸς τοιούτου τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν ἐφέποντος αὐτὸς ἀπεῖναι διὰ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ σώματος ἀναγκάζομαι. Μῆνα γὰρ ὅλον ἤδη προσκαθέζομαι τῇ ἐκ τῶν αὐτοφυῶν θερμῶν ὑδάτων θεραπείᾳ, ὡς δή τι ὄφελος ἐντεῦθεν ἕξων. Ἔοικα δὲ διακενῆς πονεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας ἢ καὶ γέλωτος τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄξιος εἶναι φαίνεσθαι, μηδὲ τῆς παροιμίας ἀκούων τῆς οὐδὲν ἀπὸ θερμῶν ὄφελος εἶναι τοῖς τεθνηκόσι λεγούσης. Διόπερ καὶ οὕτως ἔχων βούλομαι πάντα παρεὶς καταλαβεῖν σου τὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν, ὥστε τῶν ἐν σοὶ καλῶν ἀπολαύειν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ πράγματα διὰ τῆς σῆς ὀρθότητος εὐπρεπῶς διαθέσθαι. Ἐμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἴδιος ὁ τῆς σεμνοτάτης μητρὸς ἡμῶν Παλλαδίας οἶκος, ἣν οὐ μόνον ἡ τοῦ γένους οἰκειότης ἡμῖν συνάπτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ τρόπου δεξιὸν ἀντὶ μητρὸς ἡμῖν εἶναι πεποίηκεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν κεκίνηταί τις ταραχὴ περὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς, ἀξιοῦμέν σου τὴν μεγαλόνοιαν μικρὸν ὑπερθέσθαι τὴν ἐξέτασιν καὶ ἀναμεῖναι ἡμῶν τὴν παρουσίαν, οὐχ ὥστε διαφθαρῆναι τὸ δίκαιον (μυριάκις γὰρ ἂν ἀποθανεῖν ἑλοίμην ἢ τοιαύτην αἰτῆσαι χάριν παρὰ δικαστοῦ φίλου τοῖς νόμοις καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ), ἀλλ' ὥστε ἃ οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς ἐμοὶ γράφειν, ταῦτα ἀπὸ στόματος ἀπαγγέλλοντός μου μαθεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ οὔτε αὐτὸς τῆς ἀληθείας διαμαρτήσει οὔτε ἡμεῖς πεισόμεθά τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων. Δέομαι οὖν, τοῦ προσώπου ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ὄντος καὶ κατεχομένου παρὰ τῆς τάξεως, ἀνεπαχθῆ ταύτην χάριν καὶ ἀνεπίφθονον ἡμῖν καταθέσθαι.