Letter 26: It was only right that your brother should be honored in this way by you and my friend by me.

To Demetrius. (358/59) For it was fitting that your brother should be honored with such an honor by you, and that my friend should be honored with it by me. And it is no wonder that the time spent over that man [in mourning] became grievous to you; for to those in such a condition even things that are not exceedingly painful are hard to bear. Now, therefore, since you have let go of the oak and have hold of the wheat—for so you yourself draw the comparison—I will follow, in one respect imitating you, but in another being outdone by you. For now that letters and honey have arrived from there, in writing I do something equal to your letters, but, seeking what might serve you in return for the gift, I have found nothing except to praise the gift. For "Attic" is no mere name, but it is genuinely from the labors at Hymettus which the bees toil at on the mountain. Yet, although it is such a thing, it was still surpassed by the pleasure of which you gave us a taste in the things you wrote.

**To Demetrius** (358/59) It was only right that he should be honored with such an honor — as your brother by you, and as my friend by me. That the time of his illness proved difficult for you is no wonder, for even things not terribly painful become hard to bear for those in such a state. Now, however, since you have let go of the acorn and taken hold of the wheat — for that is the very image you yourself use — I shall follow you, imitating you in one respect while being outdone in another. For when a letter arrived from your end along with honey, in writing back I do something equal to the letter, but when I searched for what I might offer you in return for your gift, I found nothing — except to praise the gift itself. For "Attic" is no mere name in this case; it is truly and simply the product of the labors on Hymettus, where the bees toil upon the mountain. Yet fine as it was, even that honey was surpassed by the sweetness you gave us to taste in what you wrote.

Δημητρίῳ. (358/59) Ἔδει γὰρ καὶ τοιαύτη τιμηθῆναι τιμῇ παρά τε σοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν παρά τε ἐμοῦ τὸν φίλον. δυσχερῆ δέ σοι γενέσθαι τὸν ἐπ’ ἐκείνῳ χρόνον οὐ θαῦμα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μὴ λίαν ἀλ- γεινὰ τοῖς ὧδε ἔχουσι χαλεπά. νῦν οὖν ἐπειδὴ τῆς δρυὸς ἀφέμενος ἔχῃ τῶν πυρῶν, οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπεικάζεις, ἕψομαι τὸ μὲν μιμούμενος, ἐν δὲ τῷ νικώμενος. ἡκόντων γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν γραμμάτων καὶ μέλιτος γράφων μὲν ἴσον τι ποιῶ τοῖς γράμμασιν, ὅ τι δ’ ἂν ἀντὶ τοῦ δώρου γένοιτό σοι ζητῶν οὐχ εὗρον πλὴν ὅσον ἐπαινέσαι τὸ δῶρον. οὐ γὰρ ὄνομα ἄλλως τὸ Ἀττικόν, ἀλλ’ ἀτεχνῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν Ὑμηττῷ πόνων οὓς ἐν τῷ ὄρει πονοῦσιν αἱ μέλιτται. τοιοῦτον δὲ ὂν ὅμως ἡττᾶτο τῆς ἡδονῆς ἧς ἡμᾶς ἐν οἷς ἐπέστελλες ἔγευσας.