Letter 371: We are sending Dianios back to you — a man who brought credit both to us, whom he followed here, and to you...

To Alkimos. (~358 AD) We are sending Dianios back to you — a man who brought credit both to us, whom he followed here, and to you Bithynians, from whom he sprang. I know that when you see him you will be reminded of those times, sweeter than any I have known before or since, and you will learn everything about my affairs here. For he was not present at some events and absent from others, nor did he know only as much as one would expect of someone living in the same city — rather, as much as one living in the same house. So his mother does not know more of my affairs than this man does. What you hear about my literary work will perhaps not distress you, but my body, having enjoyed only the briefest peace, is for the most part at war, and many times I have been among those who prayed for release. Such, then, is the state of my happiness — to put it in auspicious terms. But Dianios desires his freedom: help him by every means you can. For your capacity to do good is as great in your province as it is in your own household, and your power comes not from possessing much, but from not having wished to acquire what was there for the taking. How is it, you ask, that a free man desires freedom? He considers service on the city council honorable for a rich man but slavery for a poor one. His means are just enough that they compel him to nothing degrading, yet do not allow him to fund the liturgies. He fears, then, that on returning home he will find himself seeking exile once again. Aristainetos will see to it that this does not happen — but let it concern you as well. If he obtains security, we will praise you; if he does not, see to it that you send him back to us.

Ἀλκίμῳ. (358) Ἀποπέμπομεν ὑμῖν Διάνιον ἡμῖν τε. οἷς ἠκολούθησε τῇδε, δόξαν περιθέντα καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς Βιθυνοῖς, ἐξ ὧν ἔφυ. σὺ δὲ οἶδα ὅτι τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδὼν χρόνων τε ἐκείνων εἰς μνή- μην ἥξεις ὧν οὔτε πρότερον οὔθ’ ὕστερον ἡδίους εἶδον ἐγώ, 15 καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθά μοι πεπραγμένων ἀγνοήσεις οὐδέν. οὐ γὰρ τοῖς μὲν παρεγένετο, τῶν δὲ ἀπελείφθη, οὐδ’ αὖ τοσαῦτα ἔγνω, ὅσα εἰκὸς τὸν τὴν αὐτὴν οἰκοῦντα πόλιν, ἀλλ’ ὅσα εἰκὸς τὸν τὴν αὐτὴν οἰκοῦντα οἰκίαν. ὥστ’ οὐ πλείω τῶν ἐμῶν ἡ μήτηρ οἶδεν οὗτος. τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἀκούων ἴσως οὐκ ἀνιάσῃ, τὸ σῶμα δέ μοι μικρᾶς πάνυ τυχὸν εἰρήνης τὰ πολλὰ πολεμεῖται, καὶ πολλάκις γε ἐγενόμην ἐκεί τῶν εὐχομένων ἀπελθεῖν. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν εἰς τοῦτο εὐδαιμονίας ἥκω, δεῖ γὰρ εὐφήμως εἰπεῖν, Διανίῳ δὲ ἐλευθερίας ἐπιθυ- μοῦντι βοήθησον πάσῃ τέχνη. δύνασαι γὰρ εὖ ποιῶν ὅσονπερ ἐν τῇ σαυτοῦ, τοσοῦτον ἐν τῷ ἔθνει, ἡ δὲ σὴ δύναμις οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πολλὰ κεκτῆσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ παρὸν κτήσασθαι μὴ βουληθῆναι. πῶς οὖν ἐλεύθερος ὢν ἐλευθερίας ἐπιθυμεῖ; τὸ βουλεύειν πλουσίῳ μὲν ἡγεῖται καλόν, πένητι δὲ δουλείαν. ἔστι δὲ αὐτῷ τοσαῦτα, ὅσα αὐτὸν ταπεινὸν μὲν οὐδὲν ἀναγ- κάζει ποιεῖν, χορηγεῖν δὲ οὐκ ἐᾷ. φοβεῖται οὖν μὴ ζητήσῃ 15 τὴν ξένην οἴκαδε ἐπανήκων. 6, τοῦ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο γενέσθαι μελήσει μὲν Ἀρισταινέτῳ, μελέτω δὲ καὶ σοί. τυχόντος μὲν οὖν ἀδείας ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς ἐπαινεσόμεθα, μὴ τυχόντα δὲ ὅπως ἡμῖν ἀποστελεῖτε, φροντίζετε.