Letter 792: To the same. (~362)

To the same man. (362/63) I supposed that you, on account of your office and the press of affairs surrounding you, were no longer as capable of writing as before; but you, it turns out, both attend to those duties and have kept up this practice as well. At any rate you have surpassed me in quantity, me who do nothing else but write. And the beauty is equal, and [...] All grain and gold are a small thing to me beside the loveliness of your letters, in which you compel us not to keep silent, lest we seem to have written for the sake of money, if, as soon as we get the money, we should leave off writing. I perceive that you are laughing, having got me under your power and become my master, free to make a little sport and to fix prices on wheat and barley; but, rest assured, presently you will be my master in equal measure, and you who have admired my present efforts will give something greater. Then you in turn will hear me speak, seated where it befits you, and I will hear you, with flowing voice, untangling the iris-knots of those engaged in lawsuits, and we will praise each other, you my work out of goodwill, and I yours in truth.

Τῷ αὐτῷ. (362/63) Ὤιμην σὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τῶν περικεχυμένων πραγ- μάτων οὐκέθ’ ὁμοίως ἀγαθὸν ἐπιστέλλειν εἶναι· σὺ δὲ ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο πράττεις κἀκεῖνο ἐφύλαξας. ἐμὲ γοῦν τὸν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ γράφοντα νενίκηκας τῷ πλήθει. τὸ δέ γε κάλλος ἴσον, καὶ μικρός μοι σῖτος ἅπας καὶ χρυσὸς πρὸς τὴν ὥραν τῶν γραμ- μάτων, ἐν οἷς ἡμᾶς ἀναγκάζεις μὴ σιγᾶν ὡς δόξοντας χρὴ μάτων ἕνεκα ἐπεσταλκέναι, εἰ ἅμα τῷ τὰ χρήματα ἔχειν ἀπο- στησόμεθα τοῦ γράφειν. αἰσθάνομαι δὲ ὅτι γελᾷς ὑπὸ σαυτῷ με λαβὼν καὶ γεγονὼς κύριος παίζειν τι καὶ τιμὰς τάττειν πυρῶν καὶ κριθῶν ἀλλ’, εὖ ἴσθι, μᾶλλον ἴσῃ μου κύ- ριος αὐτίκα καὶ δώσεις τι μεῖζον ὁ τὰ παρόντα θαυμάσας. τότε σύ τε ἐμοῦ λέγοντος ἀκούση καθήμενος, οὗ σοι πρέπει, καἰ ἐγὼ σοῦ τὰς ἴριδας τῶν ἐν ταῖς δίκαις ῥεούσῃ φωνῇ δια- λύοντος, καὶ ἐπαινεσόμεθα, σὺ μὲν εὐνοίᾳ τἀμά, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλη- θεία τὰ σά.