Letter 108: This Dorotheus urged me to write to many of our prominent men, thinking he'd collect a harvest of good things from...

To Themistius. (359/60) This Dorotheus, one of our people, urged me to write to many men, thinking that from many men he would reap many benefits; for one would perhaps show himself gentle, another eager, another brave, another influential, and that in this way the honeycomb of his desire would turn out fine for him. But I said to him that he need not write to many, but to one, with whom are all these things. For what is more mild than Themistius? Who so honors the sons of Tyndareus [Castor and Pollux, patrons of hospitality] in his zeal for strangers? In whom is there such great eagerness? What of the things he has taken in hand has not come to its completion? And he, when he heard the name, leaping up and smiling, said that he indeed desired this, but that the matter was too great for him; and that for this reason he did not ask it. But know well that Dorotheus is worthy both of this and of even more. There is, I think, one thing greater than the weight you can throw in the balance: that which comes from the gods. He might fittingly find them well-disposed because of his virtue toward friends. For this man saved for us the house of Argyrius, which you both love and by which you are admired, when he had been brought into every kind of compulsion, and overcame by his endurance the cruelty of Phalaris, having resolved to die, should it come to that, rather than to wrong his comrade. For he lives, indeed, thanks to Fortune; but when the snowstorms of blows were borne down upon him and were mangling his shoulders, there was an expectation, both for himself and for those looking on, that he would presently have to lie dead. But taking up a thought - for the man is among those who have shared in education - of what sort of glory, and in what dangers on behalf of friends, some of the men of old had won, he did not destroy his comrade by a false word, but by a just denial he both snatched the one from the swords and himself offered up his body for friendship's sake. And now, whenever you rejoice as you look upon Obodianus, compare Dorotheus, since you have this man from that one who displayed the things of the philosophers in another life. Who, then, would this man have been had he pursued philosophy? And indeed he is celebrated as a benefactor of the city. And now, whatever this man may obtain through you, the city has obtained. I had countless other things to say, among which is also that he listens to discourses most gladly and is no poor judge of them; but I would not wish to speak small things alongside greater ones, especially when you will be writing to me about those matters.

**To Themistius** (359/60) This man Dorotheus urged me to write to many of our people here, supposing that from many men he would reap many benefits — for one would prove gentle, perhaps, another eager, another brave, yet another powerful, and so the honeycomb of his desire would be richly filled. But I said to him that he need not write to many, but to one alone, in whom all these qualities reside. For who is gentler than Themistius? Who so honors the Dioscuri in his devotion to strangers? In whom is there such eagerness? And what has he ever undertaken that he did not bring to completion? When Dorotheus heard the name, he leapt up and smiled, and said that this was indeed the man he longed for — but that the matter was too great for someone like himself, and so he had not dared to ask. But know well: Dorotheus is worthy even of this, and of still greater things. Only one thing, I believe, surpasses the weight of your influence — that of the gods. And their favor he would rightly win, on account of his virtue toward his friends. For this man saved for us the household of Argyrius — whom you love and by whom you are admired — though he was subjected to every kind of compulsion. By his endurance he conquered the cruelty of a Phalaris, and he resolved that he would sooner die, should it come to that, than betray his companion. He lives, indeed, thanks to Fortune. But when the blizzard of blows fell upon him and lacerated his shoulders, both he and those who watched believed that at any moment he would have to lie dead. Yet taking thought — for he is a man who has had his share of education — of what glory certain men of old had won by the dangers they endured for their friends, he did not destroy his companion with a false word. By his righteous refusal he snatched the man from the swords, while he himself offered up his own body to friendship. And now, whenever you rejoice at the sight of Obodianus, think of Dorotheus alongside him — since it is from this man that you have Obodianus, a man who displayed the virtues of philosophers in a different walk of life. What manner of man, then, would he be if he turned to philosophy? Indeed, he is celebrated as a benefactor of our city. And whatever he may now obtain through you, the city itself has obtained. I could say ten thousand other things besides — among them that he listens to speeches with the keenest pleasure and is no mean judge of them — but I would not wish to speak of lesser things on top of greater ones, especially since you yourself will write to me about those.

Θεμιστίῳ. (359/60) Πολλοῖς ἐκέλευσέ με τῶν παρ’ ἡμῖν οὑτοσὶ Δωρόθεος γράφειν ἡγούμενος ἐκ πολλῶν ἀνδρῶν πολλῶν ἀπολαύσεσθαι τῶν ἀγαθῶν· φανεῖσθαι γὰρ τὸν μὲν πρᾷον ἴσως, τὸν δὲ πρόθυμον, τὸν δὲ ἀνδρεῖον, ἄλλον δυνατόν, καὶ οὕτως αὑτῷ καλὸν ἔσεσθαι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὸ κηρίον. ἐγὼ δὲ ἔφην πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς οὐ πολλοῖς ἄρα δέοι γράφειν, ἀλλ’ ἑνί, πὰρ ᾧ τὰ πάντα. τί μὲν γὰρ ἡμερώτερον Θεμιστίου; τίς δ’ οὕτω τοὺς Τυνδαρίδας ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς ξένους σπουδῇ τιμᾷ παρὰ τῷ δὲ τοσαύτη προθυμία; τί δ’ οὐχ ἧκεν εἰς τέλος ὧν ἥψατο; ὁ δ’ ὡς ἤκουσε τοὔνομα, σκιρτήσας καὶ μειδιάσας τούτου μὲν ἔφησεν ἐπιθυμεῖν, μεῖζον δὲ αὑτοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα διόπερ οὐκ αἰτῆσαι. ἀλλ’ εὖ ἴσθι, καὶ τούτου Δωρόθεος ἄξιος καὶ ἔτι μείζονος. ‘ὲν δέ, οἶμαι, μεῖζον τῆς παρὰ σοῦ ῥοπῆς, ἡ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν. ὧν εἰκότως ἂν εὐμενῶν τυγχάνοι τῆς εἰς φίλους ἀρετῆς εἵνεκα. οὗτος γὰρ Ἀργυρίου ἡμῖν τὸν οἶκον, ὃν ἀγαπᾷς τε καὶ ὑφ’ οὗ θαυμάζῃ, σέσωκεν εἰς πάσας μὲν ἀνάγκας ἀχθείς, νικήσας δὲ καρτερίᾳ τὴν Φαλά- ριδος ὠμότητα, τὸ δ’ ἀποθανεῖν, εἰ συμβαίη, πρὸ τοῦ τὸν ἑταῖρον ἀδικῆσαι θέμενος. ζῇ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν Τύχην, ὅτε δὲ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐφέροντο τῶν πληγῶν αἱ νιφάδες καὶ ᾔκιζον τοὺς ὤμους, αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐλπὶς ἦν, ὡς αὐτίκα δεήσει κεῖσθαι. λαβὼν δὲ ἔννοιαν, καὶ γὰρ τῶν παιδείας μετ- ειληφότων ἁνὴρ, οἵαν δόξαν ἐφ’ οἴοις ὑπὲρ φίλων κινδύ- νοῖς ἐκτήσαντο τῶν παλαιοτάτων τινές, ῥήματι μὲν ψευδεῖ τὸν ἑταῖρον οὐκ ἀπώλεσε, τῇ δικαίᾳ δὲ ἀρνήσει τὸν μὲν ἐξ- ἥρπασε τῶν ξιφῶν, αὐτὸς δὲ εἰσήνεγκε τῇ φιλίᾳ τὸ σῶμα. καἰ νῦν ὅταν χαίρῃς Ὀβοδιανὸν θεώμενος, τὸν Δωρόθεον παραβαλεῖν ὡς παρ’ ἐκείνου τοῦτον ἔχων τοῦ τὰ τῶν φιλο- σόφων δείξαντος ἐν ἑτέρῳ βίῳ. τίς ἂν οὖν ἦν οὗτος φιλο- σοφῶν; καὶ γάρτοι τῆς πόλεως εὐεργέτης ᾄδεται. καὶ νῦν ὅτου ἂν οὗτος διὰ σοῦ τύχῃ, τετύχηκεν ἡ πόλις. εἷχον μὲν ἕτερα μυρία λέγειν, ἐν οἷς ἐστι καὶ τὸ λόγων ἀκούειν τε ὡς ἥδιστα καἰ κριτὴν οὐ φαῦλον εἶναι, μικρὰ δὲ ἐπὶ μείζοσιν οὐκ ἂν βουλοίμην λέγειν, ἄλλως θ’ ὅτε σύ μοι περὶ ἐκείνων ἐπι- στελεῖς.