Letter 277: Even before the letter-bearer arrived, word had reached us of the honor you enjoy from a man who himself deserves...

To Dianius. (358) Even before the letter-bearer arrived, word had reached us of the honor you enjoy from a man who himself deserves every honor and praise. And from the man who delivered the letter I could hear things that matched and even surpassed what others had reported. I reflected, then, that the gods are present with decent and excellent men like yourself, rescuing them easily from what seemed like the direst straits. Your case is not very different from that of the Lesbian lyre-player [Arion, the legendary poet saved by a dolphin], who fell into the sea and was carried more pleasantly than those who stayed on the ship. While we were grieving for you and lamenting to one another -- into what a storm you had fallen, that earthquake and all its aftermath [likely the earthquake of Nicomedia in 358] -- some god provided you a refuge: a man who is a friend, with greatness of mind and the power to accomplish whatever he sets his heart on. I urge you to make the most of your present good fortune...

Διανίῳ. (358) 15 Καὶ πρὶν ἥκειν τὸν φέροντα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀφῖκτο λό- γος περὶ τῆς τιμῆς ἧς ἀπολαύεις παρ’ ἀνδρὶ καὶ τιμῆς ἀπάσης καὶ εὐφημίας ἀξίῳ, παρὰ δὲ τοῦ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν διδόντος ἦν ἀκούειν ὅμοιά τε καὶ ἔτι καλλίω τῶν ὑπ’ ἄλλων ἀγγελλομέ- 20 νῶν. ἐνεθυμήθην οὖν ὅτι τοῖς ἐπιεικέσι καὶ βελτίστοις, ὁποῖος δὴ σύ, πάρεισιν οἱ θεοὶ καὶ βοηθοῦσιν ἐκ τῶν ἐσχάτων εἶναι δοκούντων ῥᾳδίως ἐκσώζοντες, ὡς οὐ πολύ γε τῶν τοῦ Λεσβίου κιθαρῳδοῦ διαφέρει τὸ σόν, ὃς ἐμπεσὼν εἰς τὴν θάλατταν ἥδιον ἐκομίζετο τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ πλοίου. καὶ σοὶ δὴ συναχθομένων ἡμῶν καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὀδυρομένων, εἰς οἷον ἄρα χειμῶνα πέπτωκας, τὸν σεισμὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ σεισμοῦ, θεῶν τις ἔδωκε καταφυγὴν ἄνδρα φίλον, ἐν ᾦ μέ- γεθός τε διανοίας καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι πράττειν ἅττα ἂν προ- θυμηθῇ παραινῶ δή σοι τῆς παρούσης ἔχεσθαι τύχης καὶ τὸν σαυτοῦ λέμβον ἐξαρτῆσαι τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου νεώς, ὃν ἤδη μοι δοκῶ θεωρεῖν ἐπὶ μείζονος ἀρχῆς καὶ τρίτης πάλιν καὶ τετάρτης. οἶμαι δέ, αὐτὸν οὐδὲ γῆρας ἐξαιρήσεται πρὸς ἡσυ- χίαν ἀπὸ τῶν ταῖς πόλεσι λυσιτελούντων πόνων. οἶδε γὰρ βασιλεὺς τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ χρώμενος οὐ λήξει. τούτῳ τοίνυν ἕπεσθαι καὶ συλλαμβάνειν ἔργου μεῖζον παρὰ σοὶ πάσης ἀρχῆς δοκείτω, μᾶλλον δέ, καὶ πρὸς ἀρχὰς οὕτω προβαίης ῥᾳδίως τε καὶ καλῶς ἐκείνου τε ἐπαινοῦντος καὶ μιμητὴν αὑτοῦ πεποιηκότος.