Letter 213: I have several things to lay before you, and I hope you will forgive the length of this letter -- it is the price of...

My nephew is at the conclusion of his public service. Now custom holds that the final acts of just such a public service should be the greatest. And the man who takes good care that his lavishness should appear in each of the things performed will take care not only by setting up prizes greater than those before, nor merely by giving more beasts to the slaughter, but also by gathering from many quarters those who are to compete against these beasts; for this is quite simply to put on the finishing touch. Well then, of the lavish display through huntsmen, the greater part lies with you. For Phoenicia rears the men who are skilled at such things. These men, if you should be willing, we shall employ; but if you are not willing, in this respect we shall go lame. And someone will blame, not us who have been unlucky, but the man who is unmindful of his friends. For no one is unaware that we are summoning the men from there and from whom we are requesting the favor; but when nothing comes about for us, they will know through whom it does not come about. And this is not honorable for you. You love Phoenicia. I myself know it, and along with me both land and sea know this. But this too belongs to one who loves Phoenicia, to allow us to do good to so great a city. And at the same time, if they accomplish something marvelous, mastering by skill the nature of the beasts, the spectator, in his delight at the performance, will praise Phoenicia. Do not, then, dishonor us, nor wrong her, nor indeed seize upon a pretext from the letter of Modestus for not granting the favor; for those men have been provided by some ancient custom, but we take confidence not in them, but in the fact that you wish our household to appear in distinction. And now, if they should be sent by you, no one will think that anyone before the one who sent them has granted the favor. It would have been fitting that our uncle should both be still alive among us and now write to you along with us, or at least merely write, for that would have sufficed, and there would have been nothing that you would not do; but since he has departed, reflect with yourself that, while no one who has died could write, yet even one who has come to his end could rejoice. For you know the opinion of the poets concerning such matters. Send, then, the men, and let there be with you some regard for the daughters of Dionysus and Coronis. And the things which it is not worthy to give, to give is a mark of baseness; but to cast out the Graces altogether is not Greek.

τῷ αὐτῷ (360) Ἐπ᾿ ἐξόδῳ τῆς λειτουργίας ὁ ἀνεψιός ἐστί μου. νόμος δὲ τὰ τελευταῖα καὶ μέγιστα εἶναι τῆς γε τοιαύτης λειτουργίας. ὁ δὲ καλῶς φροντίζων τῆς ὑπερβολῆς ὅπως ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ποι- ουμένων αὐτὴ φανεῖται φροντιεῖ οὐ μόνον ἆθλα μείζω τῶν πρόσθεν τιθεὶς οὐδὲ πλείω θηρία φόνῳ διδούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πρὸς ταῦτα ἀγωνιουμένων πολλαχόθεν ποιούμενος συλλογήν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀτεχνῶς τὸν κολοφῶνα ἐπιθεῖναι. τῆς τοί- νυν διὰ τῶν κυνηγετῶν ὑπερβολῆς ἐν σοὶ τὸ πλεῖστον. τρέφει γὰρ ἡ Φοινίκη τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα δεινούς. οἷς εἰ μὲν σὺ βού- λοιο, χρησόμεθα· μὴ βουλομένου δὲ κατὰ τοῦτο χωλεύσομεν. καὶ μέμψεταί τις οὐχ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀτυχήσαντας, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀμνη- μονοῦντα τῶν φίλων. ὡς μὲν γὰρ καλοῦμεν τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν καὶ παρ’ οὗ τὴν χάριν αἰτοῦμεν οὐδεὶς ἠγνόηκε· γιγνομένου δὲ ἡμῖν οὐδενὸς εἴσονται δι’ ὃν οὐ ·γίγνεται. τοῦτο δὲ σοὶ οὐ καλόν. φιλεῖς τὴν Φοινίκην. οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ μετ’ ἐμοῦ τοῦτο οἶδε γῆ τε καὶ θάλαττα. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἔστι τῆς Φοι- νίκης ἐρῶντος ἐᾶν ἡμᾶς εὖ ποιεῖν τηλικαύτην πόλιν. καὶ ἅμα ἤν τι θαυμαστὸν ἐργάζωνται σοφίᾳ κρατοῦντες τὴν τῶν θη- ῥίων φύσιν, ὁ θεατὴς ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἔργου ἡδονῇ τὴν Φοινίκην ἐπαινέσεται. μὴ τοίνυν μήθ’ ἡμᾶς ἀτιμάσῃς μήτ’ ἐκείνην ἀδικήσῃς μηδέ γε ἁρπάσῃς πρόφασιν ἀπὸ τῶν Μοδέστου γραμ- μάτων εἰς τὸ μὴ δοῦναι τὴν χάριν, τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔθει τινὶ πα- λαιῷ κεκόμισται, θαρροῦμεν δὲ οὐκ ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ τῷ σὲ βού- λεσθαι τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκίαν ἐν σχήματι φαίνεσθαι. καὶ νῦν, εἰ παρὰ σοῦ πεμφθεῖεν, οὐδεὶς πρὸ του πέμψαντος δόξει δε- δωκέναι τὴν χάριν. ἴδει μὲν οὖν περιεῖναί τε τὸν θεῖον ἡμῖν καὶ νῦν μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐπιστέλλειν ἢ μόνον γε ἐπιστέλλειν, ἀπέχρη γὰρ ἂν καὶ οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν ὅ τι οὐκ ἂν ἔπραττες· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπῆλθεν, ἐνθυμοῦ πρὸς σαυτὸν ὅτι γράφειν μὲν οὐκ ἄν τις ἀποθανὼν δύναιτο, χαίρειν δ’ ἂν καὶ τελευτήσας δύναιτο. τὴν γὰρ τῶν ποιητῶν περὶ τῶν τοιῶνδε δόξαν ἐπίστασαι. πέμπε δὴ τοὺς ἄνδρας καί τις ἔστω παρὰ σοὶ λόγος τῶν Διονύσου καὶ Κορωνίδος θυγατέρων. καὶ ἃ μὲν οὐκ ἄξιον διδόναι, δοῦναι κακίας τὸ δὲ ὅλως ἐκβαλεῖν τὰς Χάριτας οὐχ Ἑλληνικόν.