Letter 24: What excuse can you offer for your silence?

To Polychronius. (359/60) What excuse can you offer for your silence? Slowness of mind? Who is sharper than you? A lack of words? You, who teach great matters so clearly? Why, then, are you voiceless? You will not say? Then hear it from me. You cut our provisions and separated the barley from the wheat, and having wronged the horses, you have nothing to say for yourself. But let me put your fear to rest with the words of Achilles: "It is not you who grieves me, but Agamemnon." [A reference to the Iliad, meaning the real fault lies elsewhere.] So take courage, come, and write.

**To Polychronius** (359/60) What can you blame for your silence? Slowness of mind? And yet who is sharper? A poverty of expression, then? You, who teach so clearly on matters of great importance? Why then are you mute? You will not say, so you shall hear it from me. You cut back our provisions and feel ashamed; by separating the barley from the wheat you have wronged our horses, and now you have nothing to say. But I will free you from your fear by quoting the words of Achilles: "It is not you who grieves me, but Agamemnon." So take heart, go ahead, and write.

Πολυχρονίῳ (359/60) Τί τῆς σιγῆς ἔχεις αἰτιᾶσθαι; βραδυτῆτα νοῦ; καὶ τίς ὀξύτερος; ἀλλ’ ἔνδειαν λέξεως; ὁ σαφῶς οὕτω περὶ τῶν μεγά- 5 λῶν διδάσκων; πόθεν οὖν ἄφωνος; οὐ λέγεις οὐκοῦν ἀκούσῃ. τῶν τροφῶν ἡμῖν περικόψας αἰσχύνῃ καὶ διαζεύξας τῶν πυ- ρῶν τὰς κριθὰς τοὺς ἵππους ἠδικηκὼς οὐκ ἔχεις ὅ τι εἴπῃς. ἀλλά σοι λύω τὸν φόβον τὸ τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως εἰπών· οὐ σὺ τοῦτο λυπεῖς, ἀλλ’ Ἀγαμέμνων. ὥστε θαρρῶν ἴθι καὶ 10 γράφε