Letter 157: Mothers who have already given birth attend those who are giving birth -- they share the pain, share the toil, and...

To Urbanus. (358-361) Women who have themselves given birth, being present at the labors of those now giving birth, both share their pain and share their toil, and console them in every way, partly by what they say and partly by what they do. It is reasonable, then, that this same thing should hold good in the case of speeches too, and that those who have already striven in the contest should help those who are now striving. You, accordingly, belong to those who wrestled long ago, while these men belong to those who have just now begun. You must therefore call to mind those former birth-pangs and stretch out a hand to those who are in the throes of labor. For it would not be fitting that you, on the one hand, should acknowledge gratitude to others in these matters, yet not yourself grant it to others.

**To Urbanus** (358–361) Mothers who are present at the births of their daughters share in their pain and labor, and comfort them in every way, by words and by deeds alike. It is only natural that this same principle should hold true in the realm of eloquence as well, and that those who have already competed in the arena should come to the aid of those now competing. You, then, are among those who struggled long ago, while these young men are among those just now beginning. You must therefore remember those birth-pangs of your own and extend a hand to those still in the throes of theirs. For it would hardly be fitting that you should feel gratitude to others for the help they gave you in such matters, yet fail to offer the same to others yourself.

Οὐρβανῷ. (358–361) Αἱ τεκοῦσαι ταῖς τικτούσαις παροῦσαι καὶ συναλγοῦσι καὶ συμπονοῦσι καὶ πάντα παραμυθοῦνται τρόπον τὰ μὲν λέ- γουσαι, τὰ δὲ πράττουσαι. εἰκὸς δὴ κἀν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦτο σώζεσθαι καὶ τοὺς ἠγωνισμένους τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις βοηθεῖν οὐκοῦν σὺ μὲν τῶν πάλαι παλαιόντων, οὗτοι δὲ τῶν νῦν ἀρξαμένων. δεῖ δή σε τῶν ὠδίνων ἐκείνων ἀναμνησθέντα χεῖρα ὀρέξαι τοῖς ἐν ταῖς ὠδῖσιν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι καλῶς σὲ μὲν ἄλλοις εἰδέναι περὶ ταῦτα χάριν, αὐτὸν δὲ ἑτέροις μὴ δοῦναι.