Letter 793: Your boy came to me asking for a letter.

To Iamblichus (362/63) The boy came to me and asked for a letter, and I, though I hesitated, gave it. What caused my hesitation was that you, having been taken hold of by the Erechtheidae [the Athenians, descendants of Erechtheus] and by that famous Acropolis and by men and places and gods, seemed to me to be despising your former darlings in favor of these later ones; but what persuaded me to give it -- or rather compelled me -- was love. For nothing prevents a man from loving even one who has set his heart on another; and I, even while being wronged, refuted the proverb, not even [...] loosing my love. We therefore beg of you that your family await the month Boedromion and take part in the worship of the two goddesses [Demeter and Persephone]; but even if some other rite should summon you, that you run and become, through the mysteries, a companion of the divine powers; and that you consider this too a holy thing -- to return and hold together your ancestral house, and to be with those of your kin who are living, and to honor those who have departed. But if the land of Pallas [Athena] has a terrible power to hold you fast, then again we beg of you to sow children at Athens and to extend our line for us. The city is in any case full of the descendants of Codrus, and the same act will bring you both sons and a test of your friends; for those who truly love you will remain loving you, while those who fly away you will see. But, O noble man and sprung from such stock, best of all do what you did before, for that is just; and if the other course has prevailed, then here too let some swiftness be added.

Ἰαμβλίχῳ (362/63) Ὁ παῖς ᾔτει με γράμματα προσελθών, ἐγὼ δὲ ὤκνησα μέν, ἔδωκα δέ. ἐποίει δὲ τὸν μὲν ὄκνον, ὅτι σὺ τῶν Ἐρε- χθειδῶν εἰλημμένος καὶ ἀκροπόλεως ἐκείνης καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ τόπων καὶ θεῶν ἐδόκεις μοι τῶν προτέρων παιδικῶν ὑπὸ τῶν δευτέρων καταφρονεῖν· δοῦναι δὲ ἔπειθε, μᾶλλον δὲ ἠνάγκαζε τὸ ἐρᾶν. κωλύει γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐρᾶν τοῦ πρὸς ἕτερον ὡρμηκότος ἐγὼ δὲ κἂν ὑβριζόμενος ἤλεγξα τὴν παροιμίαν οὐ οὐδ᾿ λύων τὸν ἔρωτα. δεόμεθα δή σου τὸ σὸν γένος ἀναμεῖναι τὸν Βοηδρομιῶνα καὶ μετασχεῖν τοῖν θεοῖν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἄλλη τις τελετὴ καλῇ, τρέχειν καὶ γίνεσθαι τοῖς δαίμοσι διὰ μυστηρίων ἑταῖρον, νομίσαι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἱερόν, τὸ τὸν πατρῷον οἶκον ἐπανελθόντα συνέχειν καὶ συνεῖναι μὲν τοῖς ζῶσι τῶν οἰκείων, τιμᾶν δὲ τοὺς οἰχομένους. εἰ δὲ δεινὴ κατέχειν ἡ τῆς Παλ- λάδος γῆ, πάλιν δεόμεθά σου σπεῖραι παῖδας Ἀθήνησι καὶ τὸ γένος ἡμῖν ἐκτεῖναι. πάντως δὲ ἡ πόλις γέμει τῶν ἀπὸ Κόδρου, τὸ δὲ αὐτό σοι καὶ υἱεῖς οἴσει καὶ βάσανον φίλων· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὄντως ἀγαπῶντες μενοῦσι φιλοῦντες, τοὺς δὲ ἀπο- πετομένους ὄψει. ἀλλ’, ὦ γενναῖε καὶ ἐκ τοιούτων, μάλιστα μὲν τὰ πρότερον ποίει, δίκαιον γάρ· εἰ δὲ θάτερα νενίκηκε, κἀνταῦθά τι προσέστω τάχους.