Letter 344: Since you say you take the greatest pleasure in being rebuked, and I have a passion for praising good men, I shall...

To Anatolius. (358) Since you say you take the greatest pleasure in being rebuked, and I have a passion for praising good men, I shall gratify both you and myself — praising some things, criticizing others. Your treatment of Tuscianus will provide occasion for both. For when you took up your office and summoned the man to serve as your assessor, the report spread through the cities, and there was no place that did not hear this: that now honest poverty receives its reward. So-and-so has summoned so-and-so from Phrygia to Pannonia, because when he once had the opportunity for wealth, he departed with praise instead of money. While those who marveled at this — I was not alone in doing so — some asked why I did not join them. I said that when I find noble men doing something noble, like the son of Thetis [Achilles] or the city of Athens, I do not rise to shout at seeing what I expected, since even before the summons, if anyone had asked me whom you would call, I would have named the very man you called. For surely you were going to seek someone shrewd, eloquent, who knows how to work, how to love, how to speak, who understands when to be silent, and who has long been schooled in living with poverty. All this is our Tuscianus, who has come to us at your sending. Now here comes what you love — the complaints. When he arrived and described the terms of his office, I was glad to see a friend, but what I heard when wanting to learn the terms — could you endure having Truth honored? "Nothing sacred," as they say. Tuscianus spoke grandly of the nature of the position, but to me the position seemed unworthy of Tuscianus's nature. And I proved it by argument. In the middle of winter a letter arrived bringing him greater provision — or, if you prefer, greater rank — good things, but still less than your power and my desire could wish. For to Tuscianus nothing of this is not great, but precisely because of this the man should advance to something truly great, since everything from you seems great to him. As things stand, he might even accept mockery — being maintained by the emperor in idleness. And surely you know what we call such people. But if he obtained what he deserves, dignity would be added to his sustenance. So let him work, my good friend, and see to it that the work is not worse than the idleness. If you have not recognized where he ought to be advanced, you do wrong, being a man who lives so closely with justice. If you think you should do what I say, do not delay — obeying Aeschylus and, before him, Hesiod. And I shall not pass over this either: seeing the man fighting the cold with a single cloak, struggling against the rain, and battling the mud, I asked whether his father's reputation served as clothing for his children too. He blushed and laughingly mentioned some Lysander and Dionysius — one who gave and one who did not accept — and I told him he did not realize he was preparing a hard old age for himself. Him, then, I release. But I urge you to improve Tuscianus's circumstances. It would befit him to endure his poverty, but it is easy enough for you prefects to imitate the cloud of Zeus, from which he rained gold upon the Rhodians. Indeed, if you are willing, prosperity free from blame could be his. But let this be done before Tuscianus takes up any office, for in that role he will choose to starve.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (358) Επειδὴ σὺ μὲν φῄς ὡς ἥδιστα ἐπιτιμᾶσθαι, τοῦ δὲ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἔρως ἐμοί, καὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐμαυτῷ χα- ριοῦμαι τὰ μὲν ἐπαινῶν, τὰ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν. δώσει δὲ ἀμφοῖν ἀφορμὴν ἃ περὶ Τουσκιανὸν πέπρακταί σοι. ὡς γὰρ ἁψάμε- νος τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκάλεις τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ πάρεδρον ἐποιοῦ, διέθει τὰς πόλεις ὁ λόγος τοῦ ἔργου καὶ τόπος οὐδεὶς ἦν ὃς οὐ τοῦτο εἶχεν, ὅτι νῦν δικαία πενία κομίζεται τοὺς μιδθούς. ὀ δεῖνα τὸν δεῖνα κέκληκεν εἰς Παιονίαν ἀπὸ Φρυγίας, ὅτι καιρὸν εἰς πλοῦτον πάλαι λαβὼν ἀπῆλθεν ἔχων ἔπαινον ἀντὶ χρημάτων. ὠς δὲ ἐν θαυμάζουσιν οὐ τοῦτο ἐποίουν μόνος, οἱ δὲ ἐζήτουν ἀνθ’ ὅτου, τοὺς γενναίους ἔφην ἐπειδὰν εὕρω τι γενναῖον δρῶντας, οἷον ἣ τὸν Θέτιδος υἱὸν ἣ τὴν Ἀθηναίων πόλιν, ἃ προσεδόκων ὁρῶν οὐκ ἀνίσταμαι πρὸς βοήν, ἐπεί τοι καὶ πρὸ τῆς κλήσεως, εἴ τις ὃν καλέσεις ἤρετό με, τοῦτον ἂν ὃν κέκληκας εἶπον. ἔμελλες γὰρ δή- που ζητήσειν ἀγχίνουν, ῥητορικόν, εἰδότα πονεῖν, εἰδότα φι- λεῖν, εἰδότα λέγειν, ἐπιστάμενον σιγᾶν, πάλαι δὴ πεπαιδευ- μένον πενία συνοικεῖν. ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ Τουσκιανὸς οὗτος, ὃς ἧκεν ἡμῖν σοῦ πέμποντος. ἤδη γὰρ εἴσεισιν ὧν ἐρᾷς. ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν ἐγκλήματα. ὡς δ’ οὖν ἧκε καὶ διηγήσατο τῆς ἀρ- χῆς τοὺς νόμους, ἥσθην μὲν ἄνδρα φίλον ἰδών, ἐφ’ ᾧ δὲ ἦχοι μαθεῖν ἐθέλων ἤκουον. ἆρ᾿ ἂν ἀνάσχοιο τιμωμένης τῆς Ἀληθείας; οὐδὲν ἱερόν φασι. καίτοι Τουσκιανὸς ἐσέμνυνε τοῦ πράγματος τὴν φύσιν, εμοὶ δὲ ἐδόκει τῆς Τουσκιανοῦ φύσεως οὐκ ἄξιον εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα. καὶ μαχόμενον ἐξήλεγχον. τοὺ χειμῶνος δὲ μεσοῦντος δέλτος ἧκε φέρουσα αὐτῷ πλείω τροφήν, εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ αξίωσιν, καλὰ μέν, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐλάττω. Τουσκιανῷ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ὅ τι τούτων οὐ μέγα, δεῖ δὲ καὶ κατ’ αὐτό γε τοῦτο πρός τι μέγα τὸν ἄνδρα προβῆναι, διότι πᾶν αὐτῷ τὸ παρὰ σοῦ μέγα. νῦν μὲν γὰρ κἂν σκῶμμα δέξαιτο τρεφόμε- νος ἐκ βασιλέως ἐν ἀργίᾳ, πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς, ὅ τι τοὺς τοιούτοις καλοῦμεν· εἰ δ’ ὧν ἄξιός ἐστι τύχοι, σχῆμα πρόσεισι τῇ τροφῇ. ἐργαζέσθω οὖν, ὦ ’γαθέ, καὶ ὅπως γε μὴ τὸ ἔργον χεῖρον ἔσται τῆς ἀργίας. σὺ δ’ εἰ μὲν οὐκ ἔγνωκας αὐ- τὸν οἱ δεῖ προσάγειν, ἀδικεῖς ἀνὴρ οὕτω συζῶν τῇ δίκη· εἰ δὲ οἴει δεῖν ἅ φαμεν ποιεῖν, μὴ μέλλε πειθόμενος Αἰσχύλῳ καὶ ἔτι πρότερον Ἡσιόδῳ. καὶ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνό γε παρήσω· τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδὼν μιᾷ χλαμύδι Ἄι πρὸς ψῦχος μαχόμενον καὶ πρὸς ὄμβρον ἀγωνιζόμενον καὶ πρὸς πηλὸν παραταττόμενον, ἠρώτων εἰ καὶ τοῖς παιδίοις ἀνθ’ ἱματίων ἡ δόξα τοῦ πα- τρὸς εἴη. τοῦ δ’ ἐρυθριάσαντος καὶ σὺν γέλωτι μεμνημέ- νοῦ Λυσάνδρου τινὸς καὶ Διονυσίου, τοῦ μὲν δόντος, τοῦ δὲ οὐ λαβόντος ἔφην αὐτὸν οὐκ εἰδέναι χαλεπὸν αὑτῷ παρασκευ- άζοντα τὸ γῆρας ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὖν ἀφίημι, σοὶ δὲ παραινῶ ποιῆσαι Τουσκιανῷ τὰ πράγματα βελτίω. πρέποι γὰρ ἂν τῷ μὲν στέργειν τὴν πενίαν, ἔστι δὲ ῥᾷστον τοῖς ὑπάρχοις ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ Δῖός μιμήσασθαι νεφέλην, ἀφ’ ἧς ἐκεῖνος ὗσε Ῥο- δίοις χρυσόν. καὶ δὴ καὶ ὑμῶν βουλομένων γένοιτ’ ἂν εὐπορία καθαρεύουσα ψόγου. τοῦτο δὲ ἤδη πραττέσθω πρὶν ἀρχῆς τινος λαβέσθαι Τουσκιανόν, ὡς ἐν ἐκείνῳ γε λιμώττειν ἐθελήσει.