To Iamblichus. (359)
Not only am I not annoyed at being urged on -- I actually welcome your encouragement, because it tells me that you yourself are hard at work.
Your uncle and I both approve of your determination to avoid ending up with donkeys instead of horses [i.e., declining from excellence to mediocrity]. But we have seen this already.
I believe something good is already coming our way from there, and we trust it will be settled well through the authorities.
As for Modestus, who was about to ride through the night for Cilicia, I brought him a letter that evening listing the gifts. Olympius was there too. Modestus said he was pleased with the other items, but since they had no great weight, he tried to push away the oil. When we refused to give in, he went upstairs claiming he would find a better use for it, but in the confusion of his departure he lost the chance to decide. So the only option was to wait.
As for you, staying where you are is not possible. You must come here, both to fight the tax demand from Thrace and to escape altogether a city council which serves nobodies well enough but would not make men of your caliber any more distinguished.
**To Iamblichus** (359)
Not only am I not annoyed at being urged on, but I actually rejoice when you press me, because by this you show me that you yourself are also active in the matter.
Now, your concern that things not go from horses to donkeys — your uncle approves of this, and so do I, though we have not yet seen the outcome. For I believe something is already making its way to us from that quarter, and we hope it will be well settled through the governors.
As for Modestus, who was about to set out for Cilicia by night, I brought him a letter in the evening in which I had listed the gifts, and Olympius was present too. But while Modestus said he was delighted with the other items, he pushed away the oil, claiming it lacked substance. When we would not relent, he went upstairs, ostensibly to deliberate on what ought to be done, but amid the commotion of his departure he was robbed of any decision on the matter. So there was nothing left but to wait.
As for you, however, remaining where you are is no longer possible; you must make your way here, both to fight the tax demand coming from Thrace and to escape altogether the city council — which profits men of no distinction, but would hardly add to the luster of men like yourself who have inherited it.
Not only am I not annoyed at being urged on -- I actually welcome your encouragement, because it tells me that you yourself are hard at work.
Your uncle and I both approve of your determination to avoid ending up with donkeys instead of horses [i.e., declining from excellence to mediocrity]. But we have seen this already.
I believe something good is already coming our way from there, and we trust it will be settled well through the authorities.
As for Modestus, who was about to ride through the night for Cilicia, I brought him a letter that evening listing the gifts. Olympius was there too. Modestus said he was pleased with the other items, but since they had no great weight, he tried to push away the oil. When we refused to give in, he went upstairs claiming he would find a better use for it, but in the confusion of his departure he lost the chance to decide. So the only option was to wait.
As for you, staying where you are is not possible. You must come here, both to fight the tax demand from Thrace and to escape altogether a city council which serves nobodies well enough but would not make men of your caliber any more distinguished.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.