Letter 77: To the same person. (359)

To the same man. (359) You were urging me toward frank speech, as though you would put up with whatever might be said by me, but Aeschylus turns me away, saying that the weaker should not be bold of tongue. And Euripides too declares that those who breathe great things--meaning, I suppose, you people--take it bitterly when they hear words from their inferiors that are too good for them. Nevertheless, since you desire the give-and-take of correspondence, I shall do you a favor, and to the poets as well: to them by not saying everything, to you by not hiding everything. First, then, concerning the length of letters I say this: that you find fault with the brevity of mine, while I find fault with the length of yours. As for mine, Sparta consoles me, and you yourself have called my letter Laconic; but as for your idle chatter, name me its leaders--yet you would have none to name, except the rash babbler who wailed before the assembly of the Achaeans. And that your office is coming to an end I quite believe. For you appear to be raving from grief, and from being out of your mind to be writing such things. So long as you did not expect the end of your office, you were sober. But these things you were writing while truly sleepless--for it was impossible to sleep while trembling for your authority. Julian was not among the foremost men with us, but he would have been among the foremost, had he not first spent his time in a dancing city, and then leaped away from us as quickly as he could--since he was indeed not ill-suited by nature for eloquence, though perhaps he also threw away the greater part of the very things he had brought with him on arrival, by the time he came into your company. For from the noble come noble things; but what follows I let go, for your sake. It seems to me that she too was provoked into becoming a soldier; for she saw the consul walking on air and speaking grandly and despising the gods, pressing down upon all others, yet groveling before men whose slaves he possesses are better than they. So she fell in love with power, which she found you cultivating. Do not be surprised, then, if, while you remain able to do things through those people, Optatus will envy Julian.

**To the same correspondent.** (359) You urged me to speak freely, promising you would bear whatever I might say. But Aeschylus warns me off, declaring that the lesser must not speak boldly. And Euripides too says that the high and mighty — meaning, I take it, people like you — take it bitterly when their inferiors best them in argument. Nevertheless, since you desire an exchange, I shall oblige you — and satisfy both poets too: not saying everything to them, yet not hiding everything from you. First, then, concerning the length of our letters, I will say this: you complain of the brevity of mine, while I complain of the length of yours. My practice, at least, has Sparta to recommend it, and you yourself have called my letter Laconic. But name me the champions of your wordiness — you cannot, unless perhaps that babbler who wept before the assembly of the Achaeans. That your office is coming to an end, I am entirely persuaded. For you seem driven to distraction by your distress, and driven by your distraction to write such things as these. So long as you did not expect your office to end, you kept your wits about you. And you truly wrote this while lying awake — for there was no sleeping for a man who trembles for his power. As for Julian, he was not among our foremost students, though he would have been, had he not first spent his time in a city given over to dancing, and then bolted from us at the earliest opportunity — since he was not without natural talent for letters. Indeed, he probably lost most of what he brought with him, once he fell in with you. "From the noble, noble things come" — but I spare you the rest of the line, out of courtesy to you. It seems to me that this too spurred him to become a soldier: he saw the consul strutting on air, thundering with a great voice, looking down on the gods, bearing down on everyone else, yet groveling before men whose very slaves are better than he is. And so Julian fell in love with power — the same power he found you courting. Do not be surprised, then, if, so long as you remain dependent on such men for your influence, Optatus follows Julian's example.

τῷ αὐτῷ. (359) Σὺ μὲν παρεκάλεις με πρὸς παρρησίαν ὡς πᾶν οἴσων 10 ὅ τι ἂν ἐξ ἐμοῦ λέγηται, Αἰσχύλος δὲ ἀποτρέπει λέγων μὴ δεῖν τοὺς ἥττους θρασυστομεῖν. ἀλλὰ καὶ Εὐριπίδης φησίν, ὡς οἱ μεγάλα πνέοντες, περὶ ὑμῶν δή που λέγων, πικρῶς φέρουσι λόγους παρ’ ἐλαττόνων κρείσσονας. ὅμως δέ, ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἀμοιβαίων ἐπιθυμεῖς, σοί τε χαριοῦμαι καὶ τοῖν ποιη- ταῖν τοῖς μὲν οὐ πάντα εἰπών, σοὶ δὲ οὐ πάντα κρύψας. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ μέτρου τῶν γραμμάτων ἐκεῖνο λέγω, ὅτι σὺ μὲν τῶν ἐμῶν τὴν βραχύτητα δυσχεραίνεις, ἐγὼ δὲ τῶν ἰσῶν τὸ μῆκος. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν ἡ Σπάρτη παραμυ- θεῖται, καὶ σὺ προσείρηκας Λακωνικὴν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τῆς δὲ σῆς φλυαρίας εἰπὲ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας· ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις πλὴν εἰ τὸν ἀκριτόμυθον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῶν Ἀχαιῶν κλάοντα. τὴν δὲ ἀρχήν σοι λήγειν καὶ πάνυ πείθομαι. φαίνῃ γὰρ ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ λυπεῖσθαι παραπαίειν, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ παραφρονεῖν τοιαῦτα γράφειν. ἕως δὲ οὐ προσεδόκησας τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸ τέλος, ἐσωφρόνεις. ταυτὶ δὲ ἔγραφες ὄντως ἀγρυπνῶν οὐ γὰρ ἦν καθεύδειν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐξουσίας τρέμοντα. Ἰουλια- νὸς δὲ τῶν μὲν πρώτων παρ’ ἡμῖν οὐκ ἦν, ἐγένετο δ’ ἂν τῶν πρώτων, εἰ μὴ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐν ὀρχουμένῃ πόλει διή- γαγεν, ἔπειτα παρ’ ἡμῶν ὡς τάχιστα ἀπεπήδησεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ κακός γε ἐπεφύκει πρὸς λόγους, ἴσως δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ὧν ἀφῖκτο φέρων ἀπέβαλε τοὺς πλείους, ὡς συνεγένετό σοι. ἐσθλῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀπ’ ἐσθλά, τὸ δὲ ἐχόμενον ἀφίημι σὴν χάριν δοκεῖ δέ μοι κἀκείνῃ παροξυνθῆναι γενέσθαι στρατιώτης· ἐώρα τὸν ὕπατον τὸν ἀεροβατοῦντα καὶ μέγα φθεγγόμενον καὶ περιφρονοῦντα τοὺς θεοὺς τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἐπικείμενον, ὑποπεπτωκότα δὲ ἀνθρώποις, ὧν ἀνδράποδα κέκτηται βελτίω. ἠράσθη οὖν ἰσχύος, ἣν εὗρε σὲ θεραπεύοντα. μὴ οὖν θαυ- μάσῃς, εἰ σοῦ μένοντος ἐν τῷ δι’ ἐκείνους δύνασθαι ζηλώσει τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν Ὁπτάτος.