Letter 83: What luck that the travel permit arrived late!

Eustathius the Philosopher to Julian. What luck that the travel permit arrived late! Instead of riding in terror in the imperial post-carriage, dealing with drunken mule-drivers and mules made restive by idleness and overfeeding (as Homer says), enduring clouds of dust and strange dialects and the cracking of whips — it was my privilege to travel at leisure on a road arched over with trees and well-shaded, a road with numerous springs and resting places. [This charming reply from the philosopher Eustathius describes his leisurely alternative journey to Julian's court. It is a gentle, witty piece that contrasts the brutal efficiency of the imperial transport system with the philosopher's preference for the pleasant country road — a small rebellion of the contemplative life against the demands of imperial administration.]

Eustathius 5 the Philosopher to Julian What an advantage it was for me that the token 6 came late! For instead of riding, in fear and trembling, in the public 7 carriage and, in encounters with drunken mule-drivers and mules made restive, as Homer8 says, from idleness and overfeeding, having to endure clouds of dust and a strange dialect and the cracking of whips, it was my lot to travel at leisure by a road arched over with trees and well-shaded, a road that had numerous springs and resting-places suitable to the summer season for a traveller who seeks relief from his weariness on the way; and where I always found a good place to stop, airy and shaded by plane trees or cypresses, while in my hand I held the Phaedrus or some other of Plato's dialogues. Now all this profit, Ο beloved, I gained from the freedom with which I travelled; therefore I considered that it would be unnatural not to communicate this also to you, and announce it.1 5 See Introduction, under Eustathius. 6 The "tessera," whether ring, coin or document, served as a passport. 7 The epithet δημόσιος is used (1) of the public carriage, (2) of the "state," or reserved, carriage. The first is meant here.  8 Iliad 6. 506. 1 The journey of Eustathius is probably that for which Julian gave his permission in Letter 44. This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, 2010. This file and all material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely. Greek text is rendered using unicode. Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts

[Πρός: Ιουλιανῷ Εὐστάθιος φιλόσοφος] Ὡς ὤνησέ γε τὸ σύνθημα ἡμῖν μελλῆσαν· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ τρέμειν καὶ δεδιέναι φερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς δημοσίας ἀπήνης καὶ περιπίπτοντα κραιπαλῶσιν ὀρεωκόμοις καὶ ἡμιόνοις ἀκοστήσασι καθ’ Ὅμηρον δι’ ἀργίαν καὶ πλησμονὴν ἀνέχεσθαι κονιορτοῦ καὶ φωνῆς ἀλλοκότου καὶ ψόφου μαστίγων, βαδίζειν ἐπὶ σχολῆς περιέστη μοι δι’ ὁδοῦ συνηρεφοῦς καὶ ἐπισκίου, πολλὰς μὲν κρήνας, πολλὰς δὲ ἐχούσης καταγωγὰς ἐπιτηδείους τῇ ὥρᾳ μεταξὺ τὸν κόπον διαναπαύοντι, ἵνα μοι φανείη κατάλυσις εὔπνους τε καὶ ἀμφιλαφὴς ὑπὸ πλατάνοις τισὶν ἢ κυπαρίττοις, τὸν Φαῖδρον ἔχοντι ἐν χερσὶ ἢ ἕτερόν τινα τῶν Πλάτωνος λόγων. ταῦτά τοι, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, ἀπολαύων τῆς ἐλευθέρας ὁδοιπορίας, ἄτοπον ὑπέλαβον τὸ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο κοινώσασθαί σοι καὶ ἀποσημῆναι.