Letter 116

From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch To: Macedonius Date: ~359 AD Context: A brief, elegant wedding congratulation, with regret that Libanius cannot attend in person. May your wedding go as you wish, with Zeus the god of marriage and the daughter of Zeus [Aphrodite] whose work is marriage granting the union good fortune. For us, it is not yet time to attend such occasions. Otherwise we might have been not only among the guests at dinner but among those singing, since a friend is giving away his niece and a friend is taking the girl as bride. But as I said, the most we can do is join in the prayers from a distance. That much is within our power.

To Macedonius. (359/60) May your marriage proceed according to the will of Zeus the god of weddings and of the daughter of Zeus whose domain is marriage, and may they grant good fortune to the union. For us, however, the time has not yet come to attend such occasions. Otherwise we might have been not only among those feasting but also among those singing, since it is a friend who is giving away his niece and a friend who is taking the girl as his bride. But as I said, we share in the proceedings only so far as to offer our prayers from afar — for that much, at least, is permitted us.

Μακεδονίῳ. (359/60) Ἀλλ᾿ ὑμῖν μὶν οἱ γάμοι χωροῖεν κατὰ νοῦν Δῖός τε γα- μηλίου καὶ τῆς Δῖός θυγατρός, ἧς ἔργα γάμου, διδόντων τὴν ἀγαθὴν τῇ συζυγίᾳ τύχην, ἡμῖν δὲ νῦν οὔπω καιρὸς ἐπὶ τοι- αὐτὰ φοιτᾶν. ἡ τάχα ἂν ἦμεν οὐ τῶν δειπνούντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ᾀδόντων φίλου μὲν ἐκδιδόντος ἀδελφιδῆν, φί- λου δὲ ἀγομένου τὴν κόρην. ἀλλ’ ὅπερ ἔφην, μέχρι τοῦ συνεύξασθαι πόρρωθεν κοινωνοῦμεν τῶν δρωμένων· τοσοῦτο 10 γὰρ ἔξεστιν.