Letter 37: The tutor was no small help to your son while he was here -- and he is no tutor in name only, but one who truly...

To Adamantius. The tutor was no small help to your son while he was here -- and he is no tutor in name only, but one who truly knows how to guide. He alone, among all who fell ill, escaped the sickness. But since your mind needed to be cleared of the deceptions planted by those whose business is to slander rather than discuss such matters rationally, I sent Eumathius, who would serve as a physician for the truth. He is a man whom no one could escape by being lazy, and no one could convince to say anything but what is so. I was about to drag the authors of those fine letters [said ironically] into court, but I held back to avoid causing you any disturbance. And besides, even before reaching court, they seemed to me already paying a penalty in their own sons -- a punishment that any sensible person would consider worse than death. Let those men go on speaking ill of me and doing ill to themselves. But you -- send back Anatolius's guardian to us as quickly as possible, and start looking for an apology to offer Anatolius himself, once the facts expose the slanderers.

To Adamantius. The tutor was of no small benefit to the boy while he was present — for he is not one in name only, but truly knows how to guide — and he alone among all who fell ill escaped the affliction. But since it was necessary to purge your mind of the deception that was heaped upon it by those whose business it is to slander rather than to give honest accounts of such matters, I dispatched Eumathius, who will serve as the remedy: a man whom no one could deceive by being lazy, nor persuade to report anything other than the truth. I was about to drag into court the authors of those fine letters, but I held back so as not to bring any trouble upon you. And besides, even before seeing a courtroom, they seemed to me to be paying their penalty through their sons — a punishment that any man of sense would consider worse than death itself. But let them go on speaking ill of me and doing ill to themselves. As for you, send back this guardian of Anatolius to us as quickly as possible, and seek out whatever defense you will offer to Anatolius himself, once the facts have exposed the slanderers.

Ἀδαμαντίῳ. Ἠν μὲν ὄφελος οὐ μικρὸν τῷ παιδὶ παρὼν ὁ παιδαγω- γός, καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ὄνομα ἄλλως οὗτός ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ ὄντως ἐπίστα μένος ἄγειν, καὶ μόνος γε ἐν νοσοῦσιν ἅπασι διέφυγε τὸ κακόν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἴδει σου τὴν ψυχὴν καθῆραι τῆς ἀπάτης, ἣν πολ- λὴν ἐνετίθεσαν οἷς ἔργον ἀντὶ τοῦ λόγους ποιεῖν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων βλασφημεῖν, ἐκίνησα τὸν Εὐμάθιον ἐσόμενον ἰατρόν, ὃν οὔτ’ ἄν τις ἔλαθε ῥᾳθυμῶν οὔτ’ ἂν ἔπεισεν ἕτερα τῶν ἀλη- θῶν. μέλλων δὲ ἕλξειν εἰς δικαστήριον τοὺς τὰ καλὰ γράμ- μάτα γεγραφότας ἐκεῖνα τοῦ μὴ σοί τινα περιστῆσαι ταρα- χὴν ἐπέσχον, παὶ ἅμα πρὶν ἰδεῖν δικαστήριον ἐδόκουν μοι δίκην τίνειν ἐν τοῖς υἱέσιν, οὗ καὶ τὸ τεθνάναι τοῖς εὖ φρο- νοῦσι κουφότερον. ἀλλ᾿ ἐκείνους μὲν ἴα κακῶς μὲν ἐμὲ λέγειν, κακῶς δὲ αὑτοὺς ποιεῖν, σὺ δ’ ἡμῖν τὸν μὲν Ἀνατο- λἱου κηδεμόνα τοῦτον ὡς τάχιστα ἀποπέμπειν, ᾗ χρήσῃ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀπολογίαν ζητεῖν, ἐπειδὰν ἔργῳ τοὺς συ- κοφάντας ἐλέγχῃ.