Ep. I.  To Basil His Comrade.

I have failed, I confess, to keep my promise.  I had engaged even at Athens, at the time of our friendship and intimate connection there (for I can find no better word for it), to join you in a life of philosophy.  But I failed to keep my promise, not of my own will, but because one law prevailed against another; I mean the law which bids us honour our parents overpowered the law of our friendship and intercourse.  Yet I will not fail you altogether, if you will accept this offer.  I shall be with you half the time, and half of it you will be with me, that we may have the whole in common, and that our friendship may be on equal terms; and so it will be arranged in such a way that my parents will not be grieved, and yet I shall gain you.

[1] ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΙ

Ἐψευσάμην, ὁμολογῶ, τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν συνέσεσθαί σοι καὶ συμφιλοσοφήσειν καθομολογήσας ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν ἔτι καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖσε φιλίας καὶ συμφυΐας: οὐ γὰρ ἔχω τι τούτων εἰπεῖν οἰκειότερον. Ἐψευσάμην δὲ οὐκ ἑκών, ἀλλὰ νόμου νόμον νικήσαντος, τοῦ θεραπεύειν κελεύοντος τοὺς γεννήτορας τὸν τῆς ἑταιρείας καὶ συνηθείας. Οὐ μὴν παντάπασι ψεύσομαι, ἂν τοῦτο αὐτὸς καταδέξῃ: τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἡμεῖς σοι συνεσόμεθα, τὰ δὲ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν θέλησον, ἵν' ᾖ τὰ πάντα κοινὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς φιλίας ὁμότιμον. Οὕτω γὰρ ὑπάρξει καὶ τὸ τούτους μὴ λυπεῖν καὶ τὸ σοῦ τυγχάνειν.