Letter 783: To the same. (362/63)

To the same man. (362/63) Were I to call you a pupil of the noble Modestus, I would put neither of you to shame; for you will seem to be following the best of men, and he will be shown to have produced a noble imitator of himself. To me these things too are pleasant, but far more pleasant is it that the emperor is adorned by the character of those whom he has chosen. And yet there were many who tried to persuade him that Modestus deserved punishment; but he, having heard their words, yet looking to the actual facts, and though he reckoned before he came here that the man was an evil, on his arrival finding to be good the very man toward whom he had been ill-disposed, declares this man prefect, taking little thought of those who would be disheartened, and at the same time teaching those who had long been his own associates to practice virtue, by showing that, even if he should cast out some of these for behaving wickedly, yet if he should see the man who had served the enemy proving to be honest, then now too he established him in office. But that great son of Atreus [Agamemnon], the leader of the demigods, who obtained the voice of Homer, did deeds weaker than his words and put Palamedes to death. But now the might of truth, both together with the emperor and itself, reigns as queen, being discovered partly by reasonings and partly by divinations. Escort the ruler, then, setting up choruses, and call blessed the city that is to receive him. And he will go on his way, calling your Galatians blessed, while from every side a long-lasting praise is raised up for you. And may the eye of Zeus add to this man the rest as well, and bring you too, through offices, to the throne of this very man.

Τῷ αὐτῷ. (362/63) Εἴ σε καλοίην τοῦ καλοῦ Μοδέστου μαθητήν, ιὐδέτερον ἆν αἰσχύνοιμι· σύ τε γὰρ τῷ κρατίστῳ δόξεις ἀκολουθεῖν ἐκεῖ- νός τε γενναῖον τὸν μιμησάμενον ἀπειργάσθαι. ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡδέα, πολλῷ δὲ ἥδιον τὸ τὸν βασιλέα τῇ τῶν αἱρι- θέντων φύσει κοσμεῖσθαι. καίτοι πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ πειρώμενοι πείθειν ὡς εἴη δίκης ὁ Μόδεστος ἄξιος· ὁ δὲ τῶν μὲν ἀκού- σας, εἰς δὲ τὰ πράγματα βλέψας, καὶ νομίζων μὲν πρὶν ἴν δεῦρο κακόν, εὑρὼν δὲ ἥκων ἀγαθὸν πρὸς ὃν εἶχε χαλεπῶς, τοῦτον ὕπαρχον ἀποφαίνει βραχὺ φροντίσας τῶν ἀθυμησόν- των καὶ ἅμα παιδεύων τοὺς αὑτῷ πάλαι συνόντας ἀσκεῖν ἀρε- τὴν δεικνὺς ὅτι κἂν τούτων τινὰς ἐκβάλοι πονηρευομένους, εἰ δὲ ἴδοι τὸν τῷ πολεμίῳ διακονοῦντα χρηστὸν ὄντα, καὶ νῦν εἰς σχῆμα κατέστησεν. ὁ δὲ Ἀτρέως ἐκεῖνος ὁ μέγας, ὁ τῶν ἡμιθέων ἡγούμενος καὶ τῆς Ὁμήρου τυχὼν φωνῆς, ἀσθενέ- στερα λόγου ποιήσας ἔργα τὸν Παλαμήδην ἀπέκτεινεν. ἀλλὰ νῦν τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κράτος καὶ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ αὐτὴ βασιλεύει τὰ μὲν λογισμοῖς τὰ δὲ μαντείαις εὑρισκομένη. παράπεμπε δὴ τὸν ἄρχοντα χοροὺς ἱστὰς καὶ μακάριζε τὴν δεξομένην πόλιν. ὁ δὲ πορεύσεται τοὺς σοὺς Γαλάτας μακα- ρίζων πανταχόθεν σοι μακρᾶς ἐγειρομένης εὐφημίας. Δῖός δὲ ὄμμα τούτῳ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσθείη καὶ σὲ δι’ ἀρχῶν ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦδε θρόνον κομίσειεν.