Letter 374: May you always send such reports about your health, for it would be fitting that a man of such good judgment should...

To Strategios. (~358 AD) May you always send such reports about your health, for it would be fitting that a man of such good judgment should also be well in body. I, however, have been carried back again into my head ailment, so that even Marcellus [his physician] was alarmed that the affliction might prove greater than his skill. It has neither defeated the doctor nor been entirely conquered, but at present a fierce battle rages between art and suffering. Dianios will tell you about this and about how the Syrians feel toward you. He is a man one may rightly call good, but no longer fortunate. For having acquired his rhetorical training through hard work and hoping to reap the benefit of that ability in your court, he no sooner laid hold of the thing than he was rebuffed from it. Having missed the favorable wind, then, let him at least enjoy the second-best voyage. And that is this: that a place be made for him at the tribunal among you, and that if anyone drags away one of the citizens, that man learn he will not be doing something that pleases you. The man deserves our care — mine, because he is a kinsman of Aristainetos and my student; yours, for the same reasons. For you taught me long ago that you consider what is mine your own.

Στρατηγίῳ. (358) Σὺ μὲν ἀεὶ τοιαῦτα ἐπιστέλλοις περὶ τοῦ σώματος, πρέ- ποι γὰρ ἂν ὄντα σε τὴν γνώμην ἀγαθὸν κἀκείνως ἐρρῶσθαι, ἐγὼ δὲ αὖθις ἀπηνέχθην εἰς τὴν νόσον τῆς κεφαλῆς, ὥστε καὶ τὸν Μάρκελλον ἐν φόβῳ καταστῆναι μὴ μεῖζον αὑτοῦ γένηται τὸ κακόν. τὸ δὲ οὔτε ἐνίκησε τὸν ἰατρὸν οὔτε ἐκρα- τήθη παντελῶς, ἀλλὰ συνέστηκε νυνὶ μάχη κρατερὰ τέχνης καὶ πάθους. ἐρεῖ δέ σοι καὶ περὶ τούτων καὶ ὡς ἔχουσι πρὸς σὲ Σύροι, Διάνιος, ὃν ἀγαθὸν μὲν ἔξεστι προσειπεῖν, εὐτυχῆ δὲ οὐκέτι. πόνῳ γὰρ λόγους κτησάμενος καὶ παρὰ σοὶ καρπώσασθαι τὴν δύναμιν ἐλπίσας ὁμοῦ τε ἥψατο καὶ ἀπε- κρούσθη τοῦ πράγματος. τοῦ χρηστοῦ τοίνυν ἀνέμου δια- μαρτὼν ἀπολαυσάτω τοῦ δευτέρου πλοῦ. ἔστι δὲ οὗτος γενέ- σθαι χώραν αὐτῷ παρ’ ὑμῖν περὶ τὸ βῆμα καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἤν τις ἀφέλκῃ, τοῦτον μαθεῖν ὡς οὐ σοί γε ἀρέσκοντα δράσει. κηδεμονίας δὲ ἁνὴρ ἄξιος ἐμοί τε, διότι συγγενὴς Ἀρισται- νἐτου καὶ μαθητὴς ἐμός, σοί τε ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν. πάλαι γάρ με ἐδίδαξας ὅτι τὰ ἡμέτερα σαυτοῦ νομίζεις.