Letter 395: What Boeotians have you been keeping company with, that you've lost your skill in rhetoric?

To Andronikos. (355 AD) What Boeotians have you been keeping company with, that you've lost your skill in rhetoric? It was never like you to praise long letters everywhere while driving away short ones. You knew perfectly well that each has its place, and that both are fine when suited to the occasion. But you seized on the brevity of my letter and immediately made it grounds for a fresh accusation — a sycophant on both counts. For while prosecuting my letter for its length, your anger invented yet another charge: some leather document, I believe, allegedly not delivered. What a marvelous fabricator you've become — naturally, living in a city full of fabrications. Our city may be smaller than yours, but it hardly breeds small-mindedness. Nor, my dear fellow, are we so reduced in our other affairs that we have leisure to wonder whether so-and-so took something and is keeping it. Don't mock the sophists in your city, either — they have everything sophists need: grand houses, crowds of students, capacious stomachs, and a talent for servility. For among you, cringing is the path to success, and the more slavish a man is, the better rhetorician he's considered. As for me, you think you're acting as a friend, but know that you're doing the work of an enemy. You're scheming to get me to return to you, but if you're urging this in ignorance of my present circumstances, that ignorance is hardly a sign of friendship. And if you know full well — from what a storm I've come into what peace — and yet you'd drag me back from peace into the storm, you're no Theseus to my Pirithous. So it seems we must blame you, our friend, while praising the governor, who is no friend. For even if his intention is hostile, the effect is beneficial: he prevents me from coming, and his first favor to me is sparing me the sight of Kleomenes. If you're still associating with that man, stop deceiving me. And if you're not — then what possessed you to embrace the very person you were bound to flee, especially when doing so was sure to offend another man who is good, honorable, temperate, and more powerful? Dearest Andronikos, break off your intimacy with that dog, if you haven't already. Stop trying to dislodge me from here. Take good counsel regarding your uncle, and release me from that kind of service. I can see the matter is moving toward a gentler resolution.

Ἀνδρονίκῳ. (355) Ποίοις Βοιωτοῖς συγγενόμενος ἀποβέβληκας τὴν περὶ τοὺς λόγους τέχνην; οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνό γε Ἀνδρονίκου τὸ τὰς μὲν μακρὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἐπαινεῖν πανταχοῦ, τὰς δὲ οὐ μακρὰς ἐλαύ- νειω, ἀλλ’ εὖ ᾔδεις ὡς ἑκατέρῳ τε ἰνὶ χώρα καὶ μετὰ τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο καλόν. σὺ δὲ ἐπιλαβόμενος τῆς ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι βραχύτητος αὐτὸ τοῦτο εὐθὺς ἑτέρας ἐποιοῦ κατηγορίας ἀφορμὴν συκοφάντης ὢν ἐν ἀμφοῖν. διώκων γὰρ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ τῷ μέτρῳ τῇ γε ὀργῇ πάλιν ἄλλην αἰτίαν ἔπλασας, διφθέραν οἶμαί τινα οὐκ ἀποδοθεῖσαν. οὕτω θαυμαστὸς ἡμῖν πλάστης γέγονας ἅτε πόλιν οἰκῶν γέμουσαν πλασμάτων. ἡμῖν δὲ πόλις μὲν τῆς ὑμετέρας μικροτέρα, μικρο- ψυχίαν δὲ ἴσως οὐκ ἐντίθησιν. οὐδέ γε, ὦ δαιμόνιε, τἄλλα οὕτω ταπεινῶς πράττομεν ὥστ’ ἔχειν σχολὴν ἐννοεῖν, εἰ τόδε ὁ δεῖνα λαβὼν κατέχει. τῶν δὲ παρ’ ὑμῖν σοφιστῶν μὴ καταγέλα, οἷς ἐστιν ἃ σοφισταῖς εἶναι δεῖ, μέγεθος οἰκιῶν, πλῆθος νέων, γαστρὸς εὐρυχωρία, τὸ δουλεύειν εἰδέναι· μέγα γὰρ εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν παρ’ ὑμῖν τὸ κατεπτηχέναι καὶ ὁ δουλό- τερος ἑτέρου ῥητοὸικώτερος. εἰς ἐμὲ δὲ οἰόμενος τὰ φίλου ποιεῖν ἴσθι τὰ πολεμίου δρῶν. πράττεις μὲν γάρ, ὅπως ὑμῖν ἐπανέλθοιμι, τοῦτο δὲ εἰ μὲν ἀγνοῶν, ἐν οἷς ὢν τυγχάνω προ- θυμῇ, τάχα οὐ φιλοῦντος ἡ ἄγνοια· εἰ δ’ ἐπιστάμενος, ἐξ ὅσης ζάλης εἰς ὅσην εἰρήνην ἥκω, πρὸς τὴν ζάλην αὖθις ἐκ τῆς εἰρήνης ἕλκεις, οὐ πάνυ γίγνῃ Θησεὺς εἰς Πειρίθουν. ὥστ’ ἐοίκαμεν σοὶ μὲν μέμφεσθαι τῷ φίλῳ, τὸν δὲ οὐ φίλον ἐπαι- νεῖν τὸν ἄρχοντα. καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἡ γνώμη μισοῦντος, ἀλλὰ τό γε ἔργον ὠφελοῦντος. κωλύει γάρ με μὴ ἐλθεῖν ν τοῦτό μοι πρῶ- τον χαριζόμενος τὸ μὴ Κλεομένην ἰδεῖν. ᾧ σὺ συνὼν μὲν ἔτι μή με ἐξαπάτα· μὴ συνὼν δὲ τί πάθοις ἂν εἰκότως, ὃς ὃν ἔμελλες φεύξεσθαι, τοῦτον ἠγάπας, καὶ ταῦτα μέλλων ἕτερον ἀνιάσειν καλὸν κἀγαθὸν καὶ σώφρονα καὶ δυνατώτερον; ἀλλ’, ὦ φίλτατε Ἀνδρόνικε, παῦσαι μὲν τῆς πρὸς τὸν κύνα συνη- θείας, εἰ μὴ πέπαυσαι· παῦσαι δὲ τοῦ πειρᾶσθαί με ἐνθένδε κινεῖν. βούλευσαι δὲ περὶ τῶν πρὸς τὸν θεῖον βουλὴν ἀγαθὴν ἀφείς με τῆς τοιαύτης διακονίας. ὁρῶ γὰρ ὡς ἐπί τι πρᾷον τὸ πρᾶγμα βαδίζει.