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

To Elpidius. (360?) Naumachios has sent not yet the silver itself, but the document acknowledging that it had been received, since he is still seeking, as it seems to me, a man in whom it is also worth having confidence. But I, being ashamed that I was exacting payment from you—for I was exacting it under the compulsion of my farms, which now, instead of being willing to give, wish to take—how was I going to add a letter besides, in which there had to be mention also of the money? For I blushed deeply, be well assured, even while speaking to Naumachios about getting it back, and no less than if I had been caught stealing something of the things in the marketplace. Do not, then, feel gratitude toward me for the length of time, but rather pardon, because I did not hold off for as long again—or rather, because I did not keep silent until the very end. For this would have been a fine thing, to confirm the proverb—you know which one?—the one that speaks about what belongs to friends. The things which Marcianus was recounting both compelled us to weep and to laugh; for we pitied those who had suffered, while the laughter came from the unseemliness of the one who did it. And I well knew that he would make war upon you; for you are one of the good men. It is high time, too, for this Alexander here to tremble, lest by falling in with it he be destroyed; for he too is one of the good men. Do you, then, teach him how he might escape the bar to which the partridge gave the name "the beautiful thing."

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.