Letter 209: The school goes on, as it always does -- some years better than others, but never without interest.

To Elpidius. (360?) Naumachius has not yet sent the silver itself, but he has sent a letter confirming receipt, still looking, it seems to me, for a person he can trust.

Ἐλπιδίῳ. (360?) Αὐτὸν μὲν οὔπω τὸν ἄργυρον, τὰ δ’ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀπειλη- φέναι γράμματα Ναυμάχιος ἔπεμψεν ἔτι ζητῶν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἄνθρωπον, ᾧ καὶ θαρρεῖν ἄξιον. ἐγὼ δὲ αἰσχυνόμενος, ὅτι σε εἰσέπραττον, εἰσέπραττον γὰρ ὑπ’ ἀνάγκης τῶν ἀγρῶν νῦν ἀντὶ τοῦ διδόναι βουλομένων λαμβάνειν, πῶς ἔμελλον προσθή- σεῖν ἐπιστολήν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἔδει μνησθῆναι; πά- νυ γὰρ ἠρυθρίων, εὖ ἴσθι, καὶ Ναυμαχίῳ λαλῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κομίσασθαι, καὶ οὐδέν γε ἧττον ἢ εἰ κλέπτων τι τῶν ἐπ’ ἀγο- ρᾶς ἑαλώκειν. μὴ δή μοι χάριν ἔχειν τοῦ περὶ τὸν χρόνον μήκους, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ὅτι μὴ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἕτερον προὔ- βῆν, μᾶλλον δὲ ὅτι μὴ μέχρι τελευτῆς ἐσίγων. τουτὶ γὰρ ἦν κόσμος βεβαιῶσαι τὴν παροιμίαν, οἶσθα τί; λέγουσαν περὶ τῶν ὄντων τοῖς φίλοις. ἃ #x003E; Μαρκιανὸς διηγεῖτο καὶ δακρύειν ἡμᾶς ἠνάγκαζε καὶ γελᾶν· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ πεπονθό- τας ἠλεοῦμεν, ὁ δὲ γέλως ἐκ τῆς τοῦ δρῶντος ἀσχημοσύνης. σοὶ δὲ ὅτι πολεμήσει μάλα ἠπιστάμην· εἷς γὰρ εἰ τῶν ἀγα- θῶν. ὥρα δὲ καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷδε τρέμειν μὴ περιπεσὼν ἀπόληται· καὶ γὰρ οὗτος τῶν ἀγαθῶν. σὺ οὖν αὐτὸν δίδασκε, πῶς ἂν διαφύγοι τὸν μοχλὸν ᾧ τὸ καλὸν ἔθετο ὁ πέρδιξ ὄνομα.