Letter 425: The language of your letters convinces me that you are familiar with Plato.

To Aristaenetus (355) The style of your letters persuaded us that you keep company with Plato, but that despondency is still at its height in you, and that your hair is let grow long in mourning, and that your household is disposed as though the death had befallen only yesterday—these things are no longer quite in keeping with Plato. And yet it would have been far better if you had profited in your judgment rather than in your tongue. You, then, suppose that you are doing things consistent with what you did while she was alive, since you give pleasure now just as you did then; but it seems to me that, while you grieved her not at all when she was alive, you are now doing this very thing toward one who has departed. For if she could perceive how you are destroying yourself, she would groan greatly at having given occasion for so great an evil. But concerning these matters, unless you reason them out with yourself, whatever comes from another is in vain. As for me, the very things which I feigned to be sick of, and so fled the city which I fled, these I am now sick of here. And so sweet a thing, it seems, is one's fatherland, that it is better for me to suffer here than to be healthier among those people than the men of Croton. The malady long lay upon my head, but now it has come down into the kidneys—or rather, it presses hard upon these, yet has not entirely set the other free, but both remains there and has laid hold of these. In spring, then, it flowed down from above, and struck with all its force; every remedy was put to the test, and the physicians marveled at its excess but could not check it. And we continued dwelling in their hands, enduring everything without exception. But one of the gods, it seems, was kindly to us, who, since it was fated that I should fall ill, gave the presence of Matius as a consolation. For coming, he at once took part in a recitation, which was for him a very great thing and for me such as nothing else. Then he, having gone beyond the Euphrates to reconnoiter the affairs of the Persians, when they advanced, turned back swiftly and got Strategius ready to do those things from which they quickly departed; but pains assailed me which, raising me up from my bed, forced me to run about. These things, indeed, happened whenever Clematius stayed at home; and with him sitting beside me I was able to master even these pains, so much stronger than drugs was he, persuading me to endure—sharing my grief, jesting, in earnest, recalling old times, foretelling something good. Most of his talk was of Aristaenetus, and after him of Alcimus, and to everything that came up your name was brought in. For if anyone was shown to be careless toward us, well, Aristaenetus at least would not be said to be such a man; and if he praised someone as truly a friend, well, this man would not be set down as comparable to Aristaenetus. When it became possible for me to appear out of doors as well, we went both to Strategius and from there to the bath—he to bathe, while I, waiting for him, sang something of Homer's. And because we were so very much in each other's company, it was a wonder when one of us was seen in the marketplace, and we put up with certain mockeries, as being dependent on one another. As for my uncle, he loves you as he does me, and considers that you hold an opinion concerning him just as I do—that the things you do are just. He has come to such a pitch of being convinced that you surpass all in virtue, that, whereas formerly he was glad to hear such things, now he is numbered among those who assert them. Clematius, for his part, long admired him as a man of sense, but now loves him as well, because he related many times that you had asked him—when he had come from Rome and was saying that he had met good men there—and he said that he himself, on his arrival, praised the senate at Rome for its wisdom, while you would inquire whether anyone there was like Phasganius. And this is more honorable to us than if much had been written by Pindar in honor of our house. As for Clematius, I praise him for reporting the question and how he was at a loss for an answer; but I blame him because, wishing me to be well, he was nonetheless sometimes glad when I was ill. For knowing that, if I were not sick, he would be shut out by my books, whereas to one who is ailing he can talk whenever he wishes, he once, having found me somewhat better, blurted this out—that the sickness was, in a way, doing him a favor too. And you—either keep him in Nicaea, until you hear everything (for indeed he brings a long narrative), or travel together to Nicomedia for the sake of hearing it.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ (355) Ἡ μὲν λέξις τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἔπειθεν ἡμᾶς ὡς σύνει τῷ Πλάτωνι, τὸ δὲ ἀκμάζειν ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἔτι καὶ τὴν τρίχα πρὸς πένθος ἀνεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ὡς ἐπὶ χθὲς τῇ τελευτὴ συμβάσῃ διακεῖσθαι, ταῦτα οὐκέτι πάνυ προσκειμένου τῷ Πλάτωνι. καίτοι πολὺ βέλτιον ἂν ἦν, εἰ τὴν γνώμην μᾶλλον ἢ τὴν γλῶτταν ὤνησο. σὺ μὲν οὖν οἴει σύμφωνα ταῦτα ποιεῖν οἷς περὶ ζῶσαν ἔπραττες, εὐφραίνειν γὰρ δὴ καὶ νῦν ὥσπερ καὶ τότε· δοκεῖς δέ μοι ζῶσαν οὐδὲν λυπήσας πάνυ τοῦτο δρᾶν εἰς ἀπελθοῦσαν. εἰ γὰρ ὅπως σαυτὸν διαφθείρεις, αἴσθοιτο, μέγα ἂν στενάξαι τοσούτῳ κακῷ διδοῦσα ἀφορμήν. ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων εἰ μὴ σαυτῷ διαλέξῃ, τά γε παρ’ ἄλλου μάταια· ἐγὼ δὲ ἃ νοσεῖν πλασάμενος ἔφυγον ἥνπερ ἔφυ- γον πόλιν, ταῦτα ἐνθάδε νοσῶ. καὶ οὕτως ἄρα ἡδὺ πατρίς, ὥστε ἄμεινόν μοι τῇδε πονεῖσθαι ἡ παρ’ ἐκείνοις ὑγιέστερον εἶναι Κρότωνος. τὸ κακὸν δὲ πάλαι μὲν ἐπέκειτο τῇ κε- φαλῇ, νῦν δὲ εἰς τοὺς νεφροὺς κατέβη, μᾶλλον δέ, τούτους μὲν ἰσχυρῶς πιέζει, τὴν δὲ οὐ τελέως ἠλευθέρωσεν, ἀλλ’ ἔκει τε μένει καὶ τούτους ἐπείληφεν. ἦρι μὲν οὖν ἄνωθεν ἐρρύη, παντὶ δὲ ἐνέβαλε σθένει· φάρμακα δὲ πάντα ἠλέγχετο καὶ ίατροὶ τὴν μὲν ὑπερβολὴν ἐθαύμαζον, κωλύειν δὲ οὐκ εἶχον. καὶ διετελέσαμεν ἐνναίοντες αὐτῶν ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ οὐδὲν ὅ τι οὐκ ἀνεχόμενοι. θεῶν δὲ ἄρα τις ἡμῖν εὔνους, ὅστις, ἐπειδὴ χρῆν με καμεῖν, ἔδωκε παραμύθιον τὴν Ματίου παρουσίαν. ἐλθὼν μὲν γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀκροάσεως μετέσχεν, ὃ ἦν ἐκείνῳ τε πάμμεγα ἐμοί τε οἷον οὐκ ἄλλο. ἔπειθ’ ὁ μὲν ὑπὲρ τὸν Εὐφράτην ἐλθὼν τὰ Περσῶν σκεψόμενος, ἐπειδὴ ἐπῄεσαν, ἀναστρέψας ὀξέως παρεσκεύασε Στρατήγιον πρᾶξαι ταῦτα ἀφ’ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι ταχέως ἀπῆλθον· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐνέβαλον ἀλγηδόνες, ἇί τῆς κλίνης ἐξανιστᾶσαι περιτρέχειν ἠνάγκαζον. ταυτὶ μέν, ὁπότε οἴκοι μένοι Κλημάτιος, παρακαθημένου δὲ καὶ τούτων ἐδυνάμην κρατεῖν οὕτως ἰσχυρότερος ἦν φαρμάκων πείθων φέρειν, συναχθόμενος, παίζων, σπουδάζων, ἀναμιμνήσκων τῶν ἀρχαίων, χρηστόν τι προλέγων. τὸ πολὺ δὲ τῶν λόγων Ἀρισταίνετος ἦν καὶ μετ’ ἐκεῖνον Ἄλκιμος, καὶ παντὶ τῷ παραπίπτοντι τὸ σὸν ὄνομα ἐπεισήγετο. εἴτε γάρ τις εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐφάνη ῥᾴθυμος, ἀλλ’ οὐκ Ἀρισταίνετός γε τοιοῦτος ἐλέγετ’ ἄν, εἴτε ὄντως φίλον ἐπῄνει, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ Ἁρισταινέτῳ γε παραπλήσιος οὗτος προσετίθετο ἄν. ὡς δὲ ἐγέ- νετό μοι καὶ θυρῶν ἔξω φανῆναι, παρά τε τὸν Στρατήγιον ᾖμεν καὶ ἐπὶ λουτρὸν ἐκεῖθεν, ὁ μὲν λουσόμενος, ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸν τῶν Ὁμήρου τι περιέμενον ᾄδων. διὰ δὲ τὸ σφόδρα ἀλλήλοις συνεῖναι θαῦμα ἦν ἅτερος ἐπ’ ἀγορᾶς ὁρώμενος, καί τινα σκώμματα ὑπεμένομεν ὡς ἂν ἐξ ἀλλήλων ἠρτημένω. τὸν θεῖον δέ μου φιλῶν τε ὥσπερ ἐμὲ καὶ νομίζων περὶ σὲ γνώ- μης ἔχειν ὥσπερ ἐγὼ δίκαια ἇι ποιοίης. ὅς εἰς τοῦτο ἥκει τοῦ πεπεῖσθαι κρατεῖν σε πάντων ἀρετῇ, ὥστε πρὸ τοῦ μὲν ταῦτα ἀκούων ἥδετο, νῦν δὲ ἐν τοῖς <φάσκουσιν> ἀριθμεῖται. Κλημάτιος δὲ αὐτὸν ὡς μὲν νοῦν ἔχοντα πάλαι ἐθαύμα- σεν, νῦν δὲ καὶ φιλεῖ, διότι σὲ ἐκεῖνος καὶ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ ῾Pώμης ἥκοντα ἤρου φάσκοντα ἀνδράσιν ἐντυχεῖν ἀγα- θοῖς αὐτόθι, διηγήσατο πολλάκις· ἔλεγε δὲ ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν ἥκων ἐπαινοῖ τὴν ἐν ῾Pώμῃ βουλὴν ἐπὶ φρονήσει, σὺ δ’ εἰ Φασγανίῳ τις προσόμοιος, πύθοιο. τοῦτο δὲ ἡμῖν ἐντι- μότερον ἢ εἰ Πινδάρῳ πολλὰ εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκίαν ἐγέ- γραπτο. Κλημάτιον δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐρώτημα ἀπαγγείλαντα καὶ ὡς ἠπόρησεν ἀποκρίσεως ἐπαινῶ, μέμφομαι δὲ ὅτι με βουλόμε- νος ὑγιαίνειν ἔσθ’ ὅτε καὶ ἀρρωστοῦντος ἥδετο. εἰδὼς γὰρ ὡς μὴ νοσοῦντος μὲν ἀπεκλείετ’ ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν βιβλίων, ἀσθε- νοῦντι δὲ ἔχει λαλεῖν, ὁπότε ἐθέλοι, λαβών με ῥᾴω ποτὲ τοῦτο ἐξελάλησεν, ὡς ἄρα τι αὑτῷ καὶ χαρίσαιτο ἡ νόσος. σὺ δ αὐτὸν ἢ ἐν Νικαίᾳ κατέχειν, ἴως ἂν πάντα ἀκούσῃς — ὡς πολλήν γε κομίζει διὴγησιν —ἢ συνοδοιπορεῖν εἰς Νικομήδειαν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀκοῆς