Letter 325: To Μαξίμῳ. (357)

To Μαξίμῳ. (357) By now the kinsmen of Gaudentius ought to be writing us about all the good you have done them. But since they are about to be well treated — for so one must put it — I still urge you to look favorably on Alexander and Pasion, on whose behalf we made our case to you in person and watched you nod your promise. Even had you heard nothing from me here, once you learned there whose kinsmen they are by blood, respect for the rhetorician should have moved you to defend the pair. As things stand, you cannot refuse even if you wished — you gave the nod. For the delays so far, I blame your busy schedule. But let what comes next be better than what came before. Had you risen to office from some other path, there might be some excuse for neglecting men of letters. But since it was letters that made you great, show your devotion to those who practice the very art by which you were made.

Μαξίμῳ. (357) Νῦν ἔδει τοὺς οἰκείους Γαυδεντίου πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὅσα ὑπὸ σοῦ πεπόνθασιν ἀγαθὰ γράφειν, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ μέλλουσιν εὖ πείσεσθαι, δεῖ γὰρ οὕτω λέγειν, ἡμεῖς ἔτι σε παρακαλοῦμεν ἰδεῖν ἡδέως Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Πασίωνα, περὶ ὧν πρὸς παρόντα ποιούμενοι λόγους ἑωρῶμεν ὑπισχνούμενον. εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν σε καὶ μηδὲν ἀκούσαντα τῇδε, γνόντα δὲ ἐκεῖ τίνι προσή- κουσι κατὰ γένος, αἰδοῖ τοῦ ῥήτορος ἀμῦναι τοῖν ἀνδροῖν νῦν δὲ οἶδέ βουλομένῳ μὴ βοηθεῖν ἔστι· κατένευσας γὰρ τῇ κεφαλῇ. τῶν μὲν οὖν ἄχρι τοῦδε τὰς ἀσχολίας αἰτιῶμαι, τὰ μέλλοντα δὲ ἔστω τῶν προτέρων βελτίω. καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὶν ἀπ’ ἄλλου του πρὸς τὸ ἄρχειν ἐληλύθεις, ἴσως ἂν ἦν λόγος ἀμελοῦντι τῶν λόγων· νῦν δέ, οὗτοι γάρ σε τοσοῦτον ἔθηκαν, φαίνου σπουδάζων περὶ τοὺς κεκτημένους ὑφ’ οὐ γεγένησαι 5 μέγας.