Letter 147: Up to this time I used to think Homer a fable, when I read the second part of his poem, in which he narrates the adventures of Ulysses. But the calamity which has befallen the most excellent Maximus has led me to look on what I used to think fabulous and incredible, as exceedingly probable. Maximus was governor of no insignificant people, just a...
To Aburgius,
I used to think Homer was exaggerating in the *Odyssey* — all those wild adventures of Ulysses seemed like pure fiction. But what's happened to our friend Maximus has made me reconsider. It's all suddenly very plausible.
Maximus governed a significant province, much like Ulysses ruled the Cephallenians [inhabitants of the Ionian islands off western Greece]. Ulysses was wealthy and came home with nothing. Maximus has been reduced to such poverty that he may arrive home in borrowed clothes.
Perhaps his misfortune came from provoking his own Laestrygonians [man-eating giants in the *Odyssey*], or running afoul of some Scylla [the sea monster who lurked in a strait, disguising savage cruelty beneath a deceptively mild appearance]. Whatever the case, he's barely managed to swim free of the disaster.
He's asked me to write to you on his behalf. Here is what he needs: first, that you speak up about what's happened to him — don't let his situation go unnoticed, but bring it to the attention of the authorities. He hopes this will give him some defense against the false accusations that have been manufactured against him. And even if no remedy comes, at least the malice of the person behind this — who has shown a truly staggering level of hostility — will be exposed publicly.
When someone has been wronged, it's no small comfort to have the wickedness of their enemies brought into the open.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Ἀβουργίῳ]
Μῦθον ἐνόμιζον τέως τὰ τοῦ Ὁμήρου, ὅτε ἐπῄειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἕτερον μέρος τῆς ποιήσεως, ἐν ᾧ τὰ τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως πάθη μεταδιδάσκει. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνα τὰ μυθικὰ τέως καὶ ἄπιστα πάνυ ἡμᾶς πιθανὰ νομίζειν ἐδίδαξεν ἡ περὶ τὸν πάντα ἄριστον Μάξιμον περιπέτεια. καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ἄρχων ἐγένετο ἔθνους οὐ φαυλοτάτου, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Κεφαλλήνων. καὶ πολλὰ χρήματα ἄγων ἐκεῖνος γυμνὸς ἐπανῆλθε, καὶ τοῦτον οὕτως ἡ συμφορὰ διέθηκεν, ὡς κινδυνεῦσαι ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις ῥάκεσιν ὀφθῆναι τοῖς οἴκοι. καὶ ταῦτα πέπονθε, Λαιστρυγόνας τάχα που ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν παροξύνας, καὶ Σκύλλῃ περιπεσὼν ἐν γυναικείᾳ μορφῇ κυνείαν ἐχούσῃ ἀπανθρωπίαν καὶ ἀγριότητα. ἐπεὶ οὖν μόλις αὐτῷ ὑπῆρξε τὸν ἄφυκτον τοῦτον διανήξασθαι κλύδωνα, σὲ δι’ ἡμῶν ἱκετεύει, ἀξιῶν αἰδεσθῆναι τὴν κοινὴν φύσιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς παρʼ ἀξίαν αὐτοῦ συμφοραῖς ἀλγήσαντα, μὴ σιωπῇ κρύψαι τὰ κατʼ αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ διαγγεῖλαι τοῖς ἐν δυνάμει, ὥστε μάλιστα μὲν καὶ γενέσθαι τινὰ αὐτῷ βοήθειαν πρὸς τὴν σκευωρηθεῖσαν ἐπήρειαν· εἰ δὲ μή, δημοσιευθῆναι γοῦν τὴν προαίρεσιν τοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπαροινήσαντος. ἀρκοῦσα γὰρ τῷ ἠδικημένῳ παραμυθία ἡ τῶν ἐπιβουλευσάντων αὐτῷ τῆς πονηρίας φανέρωσις.
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