Letter 558: Even if I did not get what I wanted when I wanted it, I did in the end get what I wanted.

To Anatolius. (357) Even if I did not obtain what I longed for at the time when I wished it, still I have obtained what I longed for. For your letter I might reasonably have had long ago, but I have it late. And you have made me cease from grieving, you who had it in your power that I should not have been grieved in the first place. Yet somehow you found a consolation even for this. For, having not given quickly, you gave to the slowness the favor that came from the bearer. For it was Spectatus, than whom nothing is greater to me than you, but to you perhaps nothing. Know that you have made me governor of Palestine by sending Clematius there, and that the very honors with which Aristaenetus was adorned have come to us. Add then to the honors paid to him—and yet I fear it may seem that he is better at speaking than at acting. As for the strength of the laws, which you restored to them, and the fears by which you prevent men from doing wrong, others think thus, that your excessive strictness will quickly take from you your office; but to me above all this seems to make your office last longer, since its benefit does not go unnoticed. But if indeed it should turn out otherwise, you at least must not abandon what is noble. For may you not, in order to rule for a longer time than you now rule, become bad. But for this you need no advisers, and this Plagion you know somewhat; for you are not ignorant of the good men among the Syrians. And knowing him to be good, you will both look upon him with pleasure and escort him on his way kindly, a man praised by his fellow citizens—both those who are in want and those who have abundance—because of his fairness. Faring so, and yet better than others, he has escaped the arrow of Envy. To me he has long been a fellow student, and always a friend. But how much this counts for with you, let him learn.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (357) Εἰ καὶ μή, ὅτε ἐβουλόμην, ἔτυχον ὧν ἐπεθύμουν, ἀλλ ὧν γε ἐπεθύμουν ἔτυχον. γράμματα γὰρ σὰ πάλαι μὲν εἶχον ἂν εἰκότως, ὀψὲ δὲ ἔχω. καί με ἔπαυσας λυπούμενον, ὃν μὴ λυπηθῆναι τὴν ἀρχὴν σὺ ἦσθα κύριος. ἐξεῦρες δέ πως καὶ τούτου παραμυθίαν. ὁ γὰρ ταχέως οὐ δεδωκὼς ἔδωκας τῇ βραδυτῆτι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ φέροντος χάριν. Σπεκτάτος γὰρ ἦν, οὗ μεῖζον ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν ἢ σύ, σοὶ δὲ ἴσως οὐδέν. ἴσθι δέ με τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἄρχοντα πεποιηκὼς πέμψας ἐκεῖσε Κλημάτιον, καὶ οἷς Ἀρισταίνετος ἐκοσμήθη, ταῦτα εἰς ἡμᾶς γεγενῆσθαι. πρόσθες δὴ ταῖς εἰς αὐτὸν τιμαῖς, καίτοι δέδοικα μὴ δόξη λέγειν μᾶλλον ἢ πράττειν ἀμείνων εἶναι. 9 Sievers 228, 2. 286, 4. Seeck 63. 384 15 cf. ep. 662 18 Seeck 111 | cf. ep. 662 3 ταὐτὰ Bcripsi e V sed e ταῦτα corr m4 ταῦτα VaVoSVi Wolf 4 ἢ Va | ἀκούση Vi 5 γὰρ scripsi e VVaVo δὲ Vi Wolf 6 θαυμάσῃ V sed ῃ in εις corr m5 7 ἡγήσῃ Va sed ήσῃ del 10 ἐβουλόμην Va aed ην del | ἔτυχον om Va ὦν del Va 11 εἶχον ἂν reposui e libris ἂν εἶχον Wolf 13 σὺ om Va σύ γε in ras V5 14 καὶ in κἀν corr V4 | Bcripsi e Vi τοῦτο V sed in τούτω corr m4, VaVoS τούτῳ Wolf | ὁ] τὸ V οὐ om Vi | σεσωκὼς libri sed σεσ corr V4, σ(1) in δ' Vo4 16 ἐμοὶ μὲν reposui e libris μέν μοι Wolf | σοὶ] σὺ Vi 17 μέμψας Vi 19 καίτοι scripsi e V e καὶ corr m4 καὶ VaVoSVi καὶ μὴ vel καὶ οὐ Re περὶ δὲ τῆς ἰσχύος τῶν νόμων, ἣν ἀπέδωκας αὐτοῖς, καὶ τῶν φόβων, οἷς ἀδικεῖν κωλύεις, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι φρονοῦσιν οὕτως, ὡς τὸ λίαν ἀκριβὲς ταχύ σε τὸ ἄρχειν ἀφαιρήσεται, ἐμοὶ δὲ μάλιστα μὲν τοῦτο φαίνεται μακροτέραν ποιεῖν σοι τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐ λανθανούσης τῆς ὠφελείας. εἰ δ’ οὖν καὶ ἄλ- λῶς ἐκβαίνοι, σοί γε οὐκ ἀποστατέον τοῦ καλοῦ. μὴ γὰρ ὅπως ἄρξαις πλείω χρόνον ὧν ἄρχεις, γένοιο κακός. ἀλλ εἰς μὲν τοῦτο συμβούλων οὐδέν σοι δεῖ, ΠΛάγιον δὲ τοῦτον οἶσθά που· Σύρων γὰρ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς. εἰδὼς δὲ ἀγαθὸν ὄψει τε ἡδέως καὶ παραπέμψεις εὐμενῶς ἄνδρα ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν ἐπαινούμενον, ὅσοι τε καταδεεῖς καὶ οἷς ἐστι περιουσία διὰ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν. οὕτω καίτοι πράττων ἑτέρων ἄμεινον ἐξέφυγε τοῦ Φθόνου τὸ βέλος. ἐμοὶ δὲ πάλαι μὲν συμφοιτητής, ἀεὶ δὲ φίλος. τοῦτο δὲ ὅσον ἐστὶ παρὰ σοί, μαθέτω.