Letter 1024: A festive memory of Richomeres' company and a request conveyed through Palladius.

Many things often bring us to the memory of festivals. When we remember those festivals and those days, we remember the days that gave us time in your company, and we honor them with the name of festivals, doing only what is right. For when you came and were with us, you made our conversations sweeter than honey, so that those who left went away full of joy and those who came in received the same measure. Every painful thing fled, and you supplied occasions for delight. I had more than others: you kept seeking me out, calling for me, and by the wall letting me hear words others did not hear. The affection born from all this, both in me and in the city, is fixed and remains, and nothing will move it. We rejoice when things go well for you; what has been harder has received proper concern; and everywhere we pray to the gods that you may enjoy better fortune. We pray too that you may come here again with the divine emperor and once more step into Daphne, dear to Apollo, which you honored both by your run into it and by carrying your eyes all through it, all in part of a single day. Since business was calling you to itself, I suppose there was no chance to give Daphne more. May the gods, whose many temples we have both in the city and around it, grant this. As for my own affairs, including where we have been deprived and where we now stand, I thought it better not to entrust them to a long letter, but to the voice of good Palladius. If I say that you owe him a reward, you would not blame me: he has shown himself so moderate and fair toward everyone that no one has been wronged because Palladius has power. So from every mouth there is praise for you, and not a single charge from anywhere.

δ Ῥιχομήρει. (393) 1. Πολλὰ πολλάκις ἡμᾶς εἷς ἑορτῶν ἄγει μνήμην. ἐν οὖν τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν ἑορτῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων μνημονεύομεν, παρ᾽ ὧν ἡμῖν ἐδόϑη τὸ σοὶ συνδιατρίψαι, καὶ τιμῶμεν τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας τῷ τῶν ἕορτῶν ὀνόματι τὰ δίκαια ποιοῦντες. 10 2, σὺ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἥκων ἡμῖν καὶ συνὼν ἡμέρας μέλιτος ἡδίους ἡμῖν ἐποίεις τὰς ὁμιλίας, ὥσϑ᾽ οἵ μὲν ἀπήεσαν μεστοὶ χαρᾶς. οἵ δ᾽ εἰσήεσαν ἐπ᾽ ἴσοις, καὶ πᾶν μὲν λυπηρὸν ἐπεφεύγει, παρεῖχες δὲ εὐφροσύνης ἀφορμάς. ὃ δὲ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ἔχων ἦν ἐγὼ ξητούμενός τε ἀεὶ καὶ καλούμενος καὶ πρὸς τῷ τῷ τοίχῳ λόγων ἀκούων ὧν οὐκ ἄλλοι. 8. τὸ οὖν ἐκ τούτων καὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ τῇ πόλει φίλτρον ἐγγενόμενον πέπηγέ τε καὶ μένει καὶ οὐδενὶ κινηϑήσεται. καὶ εὖ τε πράττοντι συγχαίρομεν καὶ τά τε δυσχολώτερα τοῦ προσήκοντος τετύχηκεν εὐχαί τε ἡμῖν πρὸς τοὺς ϑεοὺς πανταχοῦ σε τύχης ἀπολαύειν τῆς βελτίονος. 30 δεῦρό τε αὖϑις ἐλθεῖν σὺν τῷ ϑείῳ βασιλεῖ καὶ πάλιν ἐπι- βῆναι τῆς φίλης τῷ ᾿ἀπόλλωνι Δάφνης, ἣν ἐτίμησας δρόμῳ τε τῷ εἷς αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ διὰ πάσης τοὺς ὀφϑαλμοὺς ἐνεγκεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν μιᾶς ἡμέρας μέρει" τῶν γάρ, οἶμαι, πραγμάτων ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὰ καλούντων οὐκ ἐνῆν πλέον τι τῇ Δάφνῃ χαρίσα- τ ἷ ἡ ἢ χαρ Ξ πε τὴν : σϑαι. 4. τουτὶ μὲν οὖν δοῦναι τῶν ϑεῶν, ὧν ἱερὰ πολλὰ μὲν ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει, πολλὰ δὲ περὶ αὐτήν" τἀμὰ δέ, καὶ ὧν δα μὴ ἐν οἵδτκοίδεθων χράμβασι, δὲν οδὴ ΤΥ πτὲ ρήμεϑα καὶ ἐν οἷς κείμεθα, γράμμασι μὲν οὐκ ἔδοξέ μοι διὰ μῆκος παραδοῦναι, τῇ φωνῇ δὲ ἀφεῖναι τοῦ χρηστοῦ Παλ- λαδίου. ᾧ μισϑὸν εἴ σε φαίην ὀφείλειν, οὐκ ἂν αἰτιάσαιο᾽ μέτριον γὰρ οὕτω δή τι καὶ ἐπιεικῆ παρέσχεν αὑτὸν πρὸς " ἐπ ὙΡΤ ε τε, αν ει τι ἀτοῖν νον πάντας ἀνθρώπους, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὑπ᾽ οὐδενὸς ἠδίκηται διὰ τὸ Παλλάδιον δύνασϑαι, ὥστε σοι πᾶσαι μὲν ἀπὸ παντὸς εὐφη- τὸ μίαι στόματος, ἔγκλημα δὲ οὐδὲ ἕν οὐδαμόϑεν.