Letter 21: I did not forget the agreement we had about exchanging letters.

To Hygieinos. (358/59) I have not been unmindful of the agreement we had concerning letters, but I was prevented from keeping the agreement firm by countless misfortunes. For first my head laid me low, having itself received a host of dizzy spells, and there was no cause for confidence either for us or for the physicians. Then from there the affliction descended upon my belly and imitated the streams of brooks, and nothing appeared that might check it. And to these troubles, such as they were, were added what they call Lemnian evils [proverbial for the worst of disasters]. Or rather, I have spoken of the fall of Nicomedia [the city was devastated by an earthquake] as something small, in my wish to set it forth among the Lemnian evils. Having passed through the summer amid such things, and having now lightened our body by drinking medicine, we write to you, rendering to you the causes of our silence, yet not deeming it right to urge you toward our affairs, you who are already set in motion of your own accord; since whoever rouses someone by exhortations does this having condemned him for idleness. But you, so far from being slothful yourself, would even spur on another to be eager toward us, perhaps having found something in us too worthy of goodwill, yet looking more to this: that you may seem to follow your father. For he too used to look upon me most gladly and shared with me both discourses and books. And it was he who gave us a beginning toward the better reputation. And now, if only he were alive, he alone would have been worth many to me. Reckoning these things, you undertake to show me that, even if Doulkitios has died, yet the zeal of your house toward me has not died. This, then, you will always present alive, and know that your cousins are in other respects very greatly praised, but in this one thing they have grieved their neighbors: for, ever gathering up their lessons with a loud voice and taking away the sleep of those dwelling nearby, they have driven some out and worn others down.

**To Hyginus** (358/59) I have not forgotten the agreement we made about exchanging letters, but I was prevented from honoring that agreement by countless misfortunes. First, my head laid me low, having taken on a host of dizzy spells, and neither I nor my doctors could feel any confidence. Then the affliction descended from there to my stomach, producing flows that rivaled mountain streams, and nothing to stop them could be found. And to these troubles, already bad enough, were added what they call "Lemnian evils" — or rather, that is too small a way to put it: I should have said the destruction of Nicomedia, wishing to convey the calamities by comparison with those of Lemnos. Having passed through such a summer as this, I have now lightened my body with a dose of medicine and write to you, offering the reasons for my silence — but not presuming to urge you toward my interests, since you are a man already inclined of your own accord. For whoever rouses someone with exhortations does so because he has judged him guilty of indifference. But you, far from being idle yourself, would even spur another to be zealous on my behalf — perhaps because you find something in me worthy of goodwill, but still more because you keep your eye on this: that you should be seen following in your father's footsteps. For he used to visit me with the greatest pleasure and shared with me both his conversations and his books. And it was he who gave me my first start toward a better reputation. Even now, were he still alive, he alone would be worth as much to me as many men. Reflecting on all this, you endeavor to show me that, even though Dulcitius is dead, the devotion of your household toward me has not died with him. This devotion, then, you will keep forever alive. As for your cousins, know that in all other respects they are very highly praised, but in one thing they have distressed their neighbors: for by always gathering their study materials at the top of their voices, they rob those living nearby of sleep — some they have driven away entirely, and others they have worn to a frazzle.

᾿Υγιεινῷ. (358/59) Οὐκ ἠμνημόνησα τῶν συνθηκῶν ἇί ἦσαν ἡμῖν περὶ γραμμάτων, ἀλλ’ ἐκωλύθην τὰς συνθήκας ἐμπεδῶσαι κακοῖς μυρίοις. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἡ κεφαλή με καταβαλοῦσα εἶχεν αὐτὴ δεζ͂αμένη πλῆθος ἰλίγγων καὶ οὐκ ἦν οὔθ’ ἡμῖν ὔτε τοῖς ἰατροῖς θαρρεῖν. εἶτ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὴν κοιλίαν τὸ δεινὸν καταβὰν ῥεύματα ἐμιμεῖτο ῥυάκων, τὸ δὲ ἐπισχῆσον οὐκ ἐφαί- νετο. καὶ τούτοις τοιούτοις οὖσι προσετέθη Λήμνιά φασι κακά. μᾶλλον δέ, μικρόν τι εἶπον τὸ πτῶμα Νικομηδείας δὴ λῶσαι βουληθεὶς τοῖς ἐν Λήμνῳ κακοῖς. διὰ τοιούτων τὸ θέρος ἐλθόντες νῦν φαρμάκου πόσει τὸ σῶμα κουφίσαντες ἐπιστέλλομέν σοι τῆς μὲν σιγῆς τὰς αἰτίας ἀποδιδόντες, κινεῖν δέ σε πρὸς τὰ ἡμέτερα τόν γε οἴκοθεν ὡρμημένον οὐκ ἀξιοῦν- τες, ὡς ὅστις τινὰ παρακλήσεσιν ἐπεγείρει, κατεγνωκὼς ἀργίαν τοῦτο ποιεῖ σὺ δ’ οὐχ ὅπως αὐτὸς ῥᾳθυμεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλον ἂν ἐξοτρύναις εἶναι πρόθυμον εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἴσως μέν τι καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἄξιον εὐνοίας εὑρών, πλέον γε μὴν ἐκεῖνο σκο- πῶν. ὅπως δόξεις ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ πατρί. καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἑώρα τέ με ὡς ἥδιστα καὶ μετεδίδου λόγων τε καὶ βιβλίων. καὶ ὁ δοὺς ἀρχὴν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν ἀμείνω δόξαν ἐκεῖνος ἦν. καὶ νῦν, εἴπερ ἦν, εἷς ἄν μοι πολλῶν ἦν ἀντάξιος. ἃ σὺ λογι- ζόμενος ἐπιχειρεῖς μοι δεικνύειν ὡς, εἰ καὶ Δουλκίτιος τέθνη- κεν, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ἥ γε πρὸς ἐμὲ σπουδὴ τῆς ὑμετέρας τέθνηκεν οἰκίας. ταύτην μὶν οὖν ζῶσαν ἀεὶ παρέξεις, τοὺς δὲ ἀνε- ψιοὺς ἴσθι σοι τῇ μὲν ἄλλῃ καὶ σφόδρα ἐπαινεῖσθαι, λυπῆσαι δὲ ἑνὶ τούτῳ τοὺς γείτονας μεγάλη γὰρ ἀεὶ φωνῇ τοὺς λό- γους συλλέγοντες τὸν ὕπνον ἀφαιρούμενοι τῶν πλησίον οἰκούν- τῶν τοὺς μὲν ἐξήλασαν, τοὺς δὲ ἐπέτριψαν.