1

Historiae

NILUS TO CHRISTODULUS.

Since I know that you wish to be ignorant of none of our affairs, even if we should have nothing noble to say, it is not right to be silent about what there is. You know the walks which we take each time with our friends, in which many things are said, some fitting for serious matters, others for jest. In these, as some were recounting the war of the emperors, how it began and flourished to such a degree, and what persuaded the noble men to be ignorant of nature, and which of them began the battle, and who was quicker 1.8 for reconciliation; some thought it right that the grandfather be held liable for the charges, others the younger one. But I, upon hearing, was struck by their words, having condemned the laziness of the men who, having followed the events from the beginning, did not leave behind for posterity the narrative of what was done. But it is possible to think twofold about those men, just as they say about the works of Euclid. But you would be the right one to free us from these matters, by teaching what happened both in the time of the emperors and in our own time; and this would happen, if you were to use some most concise method of writing, through which alone it is possible to find the truth. For when you were continually engaged in public affairs, you were a salvation to the state; and now that you are your own man, you have established your own life as an example of truth and justice. As, therefore, one who is both considered to be and was the author of these events, you will surely not be ignorant of your own affairs; and as one who throughout your life has held nothing before the truth, you will speak the truth; and as one who has utterly banished laziness from your soul, you will not reckon the labor involved in the matter. It is also possible to bring up our supplication as an example. For whether you consider foreign or our own leaders, you will in no way dishonor the history. For both these and those men devoted themselves to writing, thinking they would benefit human life not a little from such things. And to speak simply, the ethical discourses, all that have either praised virtue or slandered vice, are both fine 1.9 and worthy to be admired; but whether it is possible for men to live according to these, here indeed is much discussion, with some deeming that actions cannot in the end accord with words. But for those who have made it their business to record the deeds of men, from which it is possible to choose virtue and to flee vice, it is not at all easy to contradict such men, because they persuade not with arguments, but with deeds, to contend with which is clear madness. Therefore, as one who will confer the greatest benefits on human life, if present circumstances do not turn out contrary to expectations, choose from those things by which it is possible both to do good to others and to preserve your own character. CHRISTODULUS TO NILUS. I praised your character, O friend Nilus, upon reading your letter. For to wish to learn what happened to the emperors of the Romans in our time is the mark of one who longs to know the truth. For certain paradoxical and strange things happened in their time, and in no way similar to those in the time of the former emperors, but it is possible to find much that is irrational in them, both in the sudden reversals of fortune and in the characters and lives of men, some men most excellently adapting themselves to be altogether steadfast and immovable and in no way yielding to the changes of circumstances, while others, quite the contrary, were always carried about and unstable like the Euri 1.10 pus. But moreover the depth of the judgments of God will be manifest to one who wishes to pay careful attention to the events. For this reason, indeed, I have for a long time hesitated to take up this discourse, considering the multifaceted and varied nature of the narrative; but since nothing is stronger or more persuasive than friendship, even for undertaking things beyond one's power, compelled by this I too now begin my account. May the God of truth not take the word of truth from my mouth; for I was not led to this account by any enmity or friendship, from which falsehood is for the most part born, but for the sake of truth and for

1

Historiae

ΝΕΙΛΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟ∆ΟΥΛΩΙ.

ἐπειδή σε βούλεσθαι οἶδα μηδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀγνοεῖν, εἰ καὶ μηδέν τι γενναῖον ἔχοιμεν λέγειν, ἅ γε ἔνεστι, σιωπᾷν οὐ θέμις. οἶσθα τοὺς περιπάτους οὓς ἑκάστοτε μετὰ τῶν φίλων ποιούμεθα, ἐν οἷς πολλὰ, τὰ μὲν σπουδῇ, τὰ δὲ παιδιᾷ προσήκοντα λέγεται. ἐν τούτοις τινῶν τὸν τῶν βασιλέων διεξιόντων πόλεμον, ὅπως τε τὴν ἀρχὴν συνέστη καὶ ἤκμασεν εἰς τοσοῦτον, καὶ τί τὸ πεῖσαν τοὺς γενναίους ἀγνοῆσαι τὴν φύσιν, καὶ πότερος αὐτῶν μάχης ἤρξατο, καὶ τίς πρὸς διαλλαγὰς ὀξύτε 1.8 ρος· οἱ μὲν τὸν πάππον, οἱ δὲ τὸν νεώτερον αἰτίαις ἐνέχεσθαι ἠξίουν. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀκούων ἐπλήγην τοῖς λόγοις, ῥᾳθυμίαν κατεγνωκὼς τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἳ παρηκολουθηκότες τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, οὐ κατέλιπον τῷ βίῳ τὴν τῶν πεπραγμένων διήγησιν. ἀλλ' ἔστι καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων διπλᾶ λογίζεσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ περὶ τῶν Εὐκλείδου φασίν. ἀλλὰ σὺ δίκαιος ἂν εἴης ἀπαλλάττειν πραγμάτων ἡμᾶς, τά τε ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων τά τε ἐφ' ἡμῶν γεγονότα διδάξας· τὸ δ' ἂν γένοιτο, ἐπιτομωτάτῃ χρησάμενος ὁ δῷ τινι συγγραφῆς, δι' ἧς μόνης ἔξεστι τἀληθὲς εὑρεῖν. καὶ ὅτε γὰρ τὰ κοινὰ διετέλεις πράττων, σωτηρία τοῖς πράγμασιν ἦσθα· καὶ νῦν σαυτοῦ γεγονὼς, ἀληθείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης παράδειγμα τὸν βίον κατέστησας τὸν σαυτοῦ. ὡς μὲν οὖν τῶν γεγονότων καὶ νομιζόμενος καὶ ὢν αὐτουργὸς, οὐκ ἀγνοήσεις δήπου τὰ σά· ὡς δὲ μηδὲν τῆς ἀληθείας διὰ βίου πρότερον ἡγησάμενος, τἀληθὲς ἐρεῖς· ὡς δὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐξορίσας παντάπασι τῆς ψυχῆς, οὐ λογιῇ τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι πόνον. ἔστι δὲ καὶ εἰς παράδειγμα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἱκετείαν ἀνενεγκεῖν. ἄν τε γὰρ τοὺς ἔξωθεν, ἄν τε τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἡγεμόνας ἐνθυμηθῇς, οὐδαμῶς ἀτιμάσεις τὴν ἱστορίαν. καὶ οὗτοι γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ἐπὶ τὸ συγγράφειν καθῆκαν ἑαυτοὺς, οὐ μικρὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον ἐκ τοιούτων ὀνήσειν οἰόμενοι. καὶ ἁπλῶς δὲ εἰπεῖν, οἱ μὲν ἠθικοὶ τῶν λόγων, ὅσοι ἢ ἀρετὴν ἐπῄνεσαν ἢ κακίαν διέβαλον, καλοί 1.9 τέ εἰσι καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι δίκαιοι· εἰ δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν κατὰ τούτους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους βιῶναι, ἐνταῦθα δὴ πολὺς ὁ λόγος, τινῶν ἀξιούντων μὴ δύνασθαι τὰ πράγματα διὰ τέλους συμβαίνειν τοῖς λόγοις. οἷς δὲ ἐμέλησε πράξεις ἀνδρῶν ἀναγράφειν, ἐξ ὧν ἀρετὴν καὶ κακίαν, τὴν μέν ἐστιν ἑλέσθαι, τὴν δὲ φυγεῖν, τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀντιλέγειν οὐ πάνυ τοι ῥᾴδιον, ὅτι μὴ λογισμοῖς, ἀλλὰ πράγμασι πείθουσιν, οἷς ἐρίζειν μανία σαφής. ὡς οὖν τὰ μέγιστα ὀνήσων τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον, ἂν μὴ κατ' ἐλπίδας τὰ παρόντα ἐκβῇ, ἐξ ὧν ἐστι τούς τε ἄλλους εὖ ποιεῖν καὶ τὸ σαυτοῦ διασώζειν ἦθος, ἑλοῦ. ΧΡΙΣΤΟ∆ΟΥΛΟΣ ΝΕΙΛΩΙ. Ἐπῄνεσα σοῦ τὸν τρόπον, ὦ φίλε Νεῖλε, τὴν σὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀναγνούς. τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν ἐθέλειν ἃ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι Ῥωμαίων συνέβησαν ἐφ' ἡμῶν, τἀληθές ἐστιν εἰδέναι ποθοῦντος. παράδοξα γάρ τινα καὶ ἀλλόκοτα συνέβησαν ἐπ' αὐτῶν καὶ οὐδαμῶς προσόμοια τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων βασιλέων, ἀλλὰ πολύν τινα τὸν παράλογόν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἔν τε ταῖς ἀγχιστρόφοις τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολαῖς καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἤθεσι καὶ βίοις, τῶν μὲν εἰς τὸ πάντη εὐσταθὲς καὶ ἀκίνητον καὶ μηδαμῶς εἶκον ταῖς μεταβολαῖς τῶν πραγμάτων ἑαυτοὺς κάλλιστα ἁρμοσάντων, τῶν δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν Εὐρί 1.10 που δίκην μεταφερομένων ἀεὶ καὶ ἀστατούντων. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ κριμάτων τὸ βάθος φανεῖται τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῖς πράγμασι προσέχειν ἐπιμελῶς. τούτου δὴ χάριν ὤκνουν ἐπιπολὺ τῶν λόγων ἅψασθαι τουτωνὶ, τῆς διηγήσεως ἀναλογιζόμενος τὸ πολυειδὲς καὶ ποικίλον· ἐπεὶ δὲ φιλίας οὐδὲν ἰσχυρότερον οὐδὲ πιθανώτερον καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐγχειρεῖν, ταύτῃ βιασθεὶς κἀγὼ ἤδη ἄρχομαι λόγου. ὁ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας θεὸς μὴ περιέλοι λόγον ἀληθείας ἐκ στόματός μου· οὐ γὰρ ἀπεχθείᾳ τινὶ ἢ φιλίᾳ, ἐξ ὧν τὸ ψεῦδος ἐπιπολὺ τίκτεται, πρὸς τούτους ὑπήχθην τοὺς λόγους, ἀλλ' ἀληθείας ἕνεκα καὶ πρὸς