Letter 381: Greece is the sweetest sight.

To Iamblichus [letter 358]. Greece is the most delightful spectacle. You have shared in it. Egypt is no worse. And of this too you have had the enjoyment besides. It remains, then, for you to give yourself back to your homeland, and to give your homeland back to yourself — the homeland which, even if you did not honor it before, now that you have lived among Greeks you would, with good reason, admire. If, then, having resolved to pursue philosophy, you think this could come to you from the Egyptians, let no account be taken of gold, nor of the finest land, nor of slaves, nor of a house, but let your fatherland be that which fulfills the noble desire; but if that sea is greater than we are, let us hold together those things which our father, having practiced them industriously, handed down. I remind you of the places in which we used to spend our time, and of the discourses we used to compose, and of the studies we used to pursue, and of friends and kinsmen, who now exact from me the penalty for your absence, pressing upon me and tearing at me and often asking: where is he who obeyed you in everything? And I, having nothing to say either to the effect that you disobey me, or that I have not summoned you, am compelled, bowing my face to the ground, to keep silent.

Ἰαμβλίχῳ (358) Ἥδιστον ἡ Ἑλλὰς θέαμα. τούτου μετέσχες. οὐ χεῖρον ἡ Αἴγυπτος. καὶ τούτου προσαπολέλαυκας. λείπεται δὴ τῇ μὲν οἰκεία σαυτόν, σαυτῷ δὲ ἀποδοῦναι τὴν οἰκείαν, ἣν εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἐτίμας, Ἕλλησί γε συγγεγονὼς θαυμάζοις ἂν εἰκό- τως. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐγνωκὼς φιλοσοφεῖν ἡγῇ σοι τοῦτο ἂν γενέσθαι παρ’ Αἰγυπτίων, μηδεὶς ἴστω λόγος μήτε χρυσοῦ μήτε γῆς ἀρίστης μήτ’ ἀνδραπόδων μήτ’ οἰκίας, ἀλλ’ ἔστω πατρὶς ἡ τὸν καλὸν ἔρωτα πληροῦσα· εἰ δὲ μεῖζον ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πέλαγος, συνέχωμεν ἃ πατὴρ φιλοπόνως ἀσκήσας παρέδωκεν. ἀναμιμνήσκω δέ σε τόπων τε ἐν οἷς διετρίβο- μεν, καὶ λόγων οὓς ἐποιούμεθα, καὶ σπουδῶν αἷς ἐχρώμεθα, καὶ φίλων καὶ οἰκείων, οἱ νῦν τῆς σῆς ἀπουσίας παρ’ ἐμοῦ λαμβάνουσι δίκας ἐγκείμενοι καὶ σπαράττοντες καὶ πολλάκις ἐρωτῶντες· ποῦ δὲ ὁ πάντα σοι πειθόμενος; ἐγὼ δ᾿ οὔθ᾿ ὡς ἀπειθεῖς σοι λέγειν ἔχων οὔθ’ ὡς οὐ κέκληκά σε, κύπτων εἰς γῆν ἀναγκάζομαι σιγᾶν.