Letter 52: To Libanius [the greatest living Greek rhetorician, based in Antioch].

To Libanius [the greatest living Greek rhetorician, based in Antioch]. Since you have forgotten your promise — three days have gone by and the philosopher Priscus has not come himself, only sent a letter saying he is still delayed — I remind you of your debt by demanding payment. What you owe is easy for you to pay and very pleasant for me to receive: send your discourse and your "divine counsel." Do it promptly, in the name of Hermes and the Muses. I assure you, in these three days you have worn me out — if the Sicilian poet [Theocritus] speaks truly when he says, "Those who long grow old in a single day.

To Libanius2 [Winter 362, Antioch] Since you have forgotten your promise—at any rate three days have gone by and the philosopher Priscus3 has not come himself but has sent a letter to say that he still delays—I remind you of your debt by demanding payment. The thing you owe is, as you know, easy for you to pay and very pleasant for me to receive. So send your discourse and your "divine counsel," and do it promptly, in the name of Hermes and the Muses, for I assure you, in these three days you have worn me out, if indeed the Sicilian poet 4 speaks the truth when he says, "Those who long grow old in a day." And if this be true, as in fact it is,1 you have trebled my age, my good friend. I have dictated this to you in the midst of public business. For I was not able to write myself because my hand is lazier than my tongue.2 Though indeed my tongue also has come to be somewhat lazy and inarticulate from lack of exercise. Farewell, brother, most dear and most beloved! 2 Both Libanius and Julian were at this time at Antioch. We have the answer to this letter, Libanius, Letter 760 Foerster; Libanius had promised to send Julian his speech, For Aristophanes, Oration 14, for which see below, p. 183. 3 For Priscus, see above, pp. 3, 15. 4 Theocritus, 12. 2. 1 Plato, Phaedrus 242E. 2 Sophocles, Philoctetes 97.

[Πρός: Λιβανίῳ] Ἐπειδὴ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἐπελάθου· τρίτη γοῦν ἐστὶ σήμερον, καὶ ὁ φιλόσοφος Πρίσκος αὐτὸς μὲν οὐχ ἧκε, γράμματα δ’ ἀπέστειλεν ὡς ἔτι χρονίζων· ὑπομιμνήσκω σε τὸ χρέος ἀπαιτῶν. ὄφλημα δέ ἐστιν, ὡς οἶσθα, σοὶ μὲν ἀποδοῦναι ῥᾴδιον, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἥδιστον πάνυ κομίσασθαι. πέμπε δὴ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν συμβουλήν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς Ἑρμοῦ καὶ Μουσῶν ταχέως, ἐπεὶ καὶ τούτων με τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἴσθι συντρίψας, εἴπερ ἀληθῆ φησιν ὁ Σικελιώτης ποιητής, ἐν ἤματι φάσκων τοὺς ποθοῦντας γηράσκειν. εἰ δὲ ταῦτα ἔστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἔστι, τὸ γῆρας ἡμῖν ἐτριπλασίασας, ὦ γενναῖε. ταῦτα μεταξὺ τοῦ πράττειν ὑπηγόρευσά σοι· γράφειν γὰρ οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν, ἀργοτέραν ἔχων τῆς γλώττης τὴν χεῖρα. καίτοι μοι καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν εἶναι συμβέβηκεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνασκησίας ἀργοτέραν καὶ ἀδιάρθρωτον. ἔρρωσό μοι, ἀδελφὲ ποθεινότατε καὶ προσφιλέστατε.