Letter 401: When we heard your wife was ill, we shared your pain, imagining how you must feel as she suffered.

To Aristainetos. (355 AD) When we heard your wife was ill, we shared your pain, imagining how you must feel as she suffered. And when I learned of her death, I cried out, thinking it a terrible thing that Aristainetos — a man whose nature suits festivals — should be in mourning. I set out to console you with words, but held back, afraid that in presuming to know you well I might be caught in ignorance. For the remedies I would have offered — the lines of Pindar and Simonides, and all the medicines we customarily draw from tragedy against grief — you seemed to me to have known long ago and to be capable of saying to others yourself. I reasoned, then, that if such things can put sorrow to sleep, you would heal yourself; and if they cannot, they would be said in vain even by another. For these reasons I set that aside and instead give you an account of what happened over the winter. We began the term with a prologue and a kind of competition on one of Demosthenes' speeches. The prologue was a prayer to Fortune for a stable home, and the competition took many forms. After I rose to speak, seventeen new students enrolled. Meanwhile, I believe, good Zenobios fell ill. Then I threw myself into teaching, and the nations poured in — citizens and foreigners alike, all wanting to learn what sort of man I was. That I was no poor craftsman of words was already conceded; the other question — whether I was equally good in person — was being tested. Some judged me no worse in the flesh, others even better, so that within a few days my chorus numbered fifty students. There was no time for lunch; one had to work until evening. Among the things that won admiration was my mastery over my stomach. Strategios arrived, and I welcomed the man with a speech — brief, as is proper for an address of welcome, but one that pleased both him and everyone else. My rival — for I call him what he calls himself — threatened to deliver one too. The promise was the performance. Seeing that the pedagogues [student-recruiters] had grown powerful by selling students, and that the dignity of the lecture halls was being destroyed, I urged my fellow citizens not to tolerate this but to take offense and put a stop to it. Considerable anger arose against the offenders. My rival threatened to speak in their defense. Again, the promise was the performance. Zenobios died, and I composed a monody on returning from his grave. Shortly after, I delivered a longer eulogy for my teacher, and it was judged no mean payment of my debt to him. My rival promised he would speak — when his father dies. His father is still alive. While all this was going on, the three die-hards who had shamelessly held out — bribed with lavish dinners — finally gave in. I needed a rest, but my uncle [Phasganios] was never satisfied. Kyrinos too was among those who would not relent; he kept his son with me, imitating you in his devotion to my work, and me in my devotion to yours. I then performed a declamation — one of those fictitious courtroom exercises. The audience danced with delight, having been raised on such things, and when I had reached the middle of the speech they begged me to compose the counter-argument with equal art. I wrote it and delivered it as quickly as I could. The speech was a brother to the first, and my enemies' position was shaken. My rival, fearing he would be stripped bare, entered the fray as if to hold back the defections — but only stirred up revolts that would never have occurred had he kept quiet.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (355) Καὶ ὅτε ἀσθενεῖν σοι τὴν γυναῖκα ἠκούομεν, συνηλγοῦ- μεν ἐννοοῦντες ὡς εἰκός σε διακεῖσθαι καμνούσης, καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐπυθόμην, ἀνῴμωξα δεινόν τι ποιούμενος Ἀρι- σταίνετον εἶναι ἐν πένθει, οὗ τῇ φύσει πανηγύρεις πρέπουσιν. ὁρμήσας δὲ παραμυθεῖσθαι λόγοις ἀνέσχον δείσας μὴ πάνυ σε δοκῶν εἰδέναι ἔπειτα ἁλοίην ἀγνοῶν. οἷς γὰρ ἔμελλόν σε κουφιεῖν, τούτοις δὴ τοῖς Πινδάρου καὶ Σιμωνίδου, καὶ ὅσα ἐκ τραγῳδιῶν εἰώθαμεν φάρμακα λύπῃ προσάγειν, πάντα ἐδό- κεις μοι πάλαι τε εἰδέναι κἂν πρὸς ἄλλους εἰπεῖν. ἐλογι- ζόμην οὖν ὅτι, εἰ μὲν οἵα τε κατακοιμίζειν ἀθυμίαν, αὐτὸς ἰάσῃ σαυτόν, εἰ δ’ οὐχ οἷά τε, καὶ παρ’ ἄλλου μάτην ἂν λέ- γοιτο. διὰ ταῦτα τοῦ μὲν ἀφίσταμαι, τὴν διήγησιν δέ σοι τῶν πραγμάτων ἀποδίδωμι, ἃ τοῦ χειμῶνος συνέβη. ἠρξάμεθα τῆς σ νουσίας μετὰ προλόγου καί τινος ἁμίλλης πρός τι τῶν Δημοσθένους. ἦν δὲ ὁ μὲν Τύχην μονὴν αἰτῶν βεβαίαν, τῇ δὲ ἁμίλλῃ πολλαὶ μορφαί. καὶ προσῆλθον, ἐπ ιδὴ ἀνέστην, ἑπτακαίδεκα νέοι. Πλατῶν δέ, οἶμαι, ἠσθένει Ζηνόβιος ὁ χρη- στός ἔπειτα ἐγὼ μὲν τοῦ διδάσκειν εἰχόμην, τὰ δὲ ἐπέρ- ρεεν ἔθνεα, πολῖται καὶ ξένοι καὶ ταύτῃ ὅστις εἴην εἰδέναι ἐθέλοντες. τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἶναί με μὴ κακῶν λόγων δημιουργὸν συνεκεχώρητο, θάτερον δὲ ἐδοκιμάζετο. καὶ ἔδοξα τοῖς μὲν οὐκ εἶναι ταύτῃ χείρων, τοῖς δὲ καὶ βελτίων, ὥστ’ ἐν οὐ πολ- λαὶς ἡμέραις πεντήκοντα νέων ἦν ὁ χορός. ἀριστᾶν δὲ οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλ’ ἴδει πονεῖν εἰς ἑσπέραν καὶ ἐθαυμάζετο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὸ τῆς γαστρὸς κρατεῖν. ἧκεν ὁ Στρατήγιος, καὶ ἐδε- ξάμην τὸν ἄνδρα λόγῳ, μικρῷ μέν, οὗτος γάρ, οἶμαι, προσ- φωνοῦντι νόμος, ῥηθέντι δὲ κατὰ νοῦν αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλ- λοις. ὁ δὲ ἀντίτεχνος, καλῶ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ὃ καὶ αὐτὸς έαυ- τόν, ἠπείλησεν ἐρεῖν. καὶ τοῦτ’ ἦν ἐπίδειξις ἡ ὑπόσχεσις. ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς παιδαγωγοὺς ἰσχύοντας ἀπὸ τοῦ πωλεῖν τοὺς νέους καὶ τὸν ἐν μουσείοις κόσμον ἀπολωλότα συμβουλεύω τοῖς ἐμαυτοῦ πολίταις μὴ ταῦτα περιορᾶν, ἀλλ’ ἀγανακτῆσαί τε καὶ κωλύσαι. καὶ ἐγένετό τις ὀργὴ κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων οὐ μικρά. ὁ δὲ ἀντίτεχνος ἠπείλει συνερεῖν αὐτοῖς. καὶ τοῦτ ἦν ἐπίδειξις ἡ ὑπόσχεσις. τελευτᾷ Ζηνόβιος καὶ ἐμονῴ- δοῦν ἀπελθὼν τοῦ τάφου. καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐγκωμιάζω τὸν διδάσκαλον μακροτέρῳ λόγῳ καὶ ἔδοξεν οὐ φαύλους κεκομί- σθαι μισθούς. ὁ δὲ ἀντίτεχνος ὑπέσχετο λέξειν, ἢν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ ἀποθάνῃ. ὁ δ’ ἔτι ζῇ. τούτων γιγνομένων οἱ σφόδρα ἐγνωκότες ἀναισχυντεῖ ἦσαν δὲ τρεῖς ἀντὶ τραπέζης λαμπρᾶς οἱ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, ἐνέδοσαν. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἀναπαύλης ἐδεόμην, τῷ θείῳ δὲ οὐδὲν ἄρα ἤρκει. καὶ Κυρῖνος δὲ ἦν τῶν οὐκ ἀνιέντων παρ’ ἡμῖν τε ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν καὶ μιμούμε- νος σὲ μὲν εἰς τἀμά, ἐμὲ δὲ εἰς τὰ σά. ἀγωνίζομαι δή τινα ἀγῶνα τῶν ἐν τοῖς πλάσμασι τούτοις, οἱ δὲ ὠρχοῦντο ἅτε ἐν αὐτοῖς τεθραμμένοι καὶ ἐδέοντό μου κατὰ μέσον γενο- μένου τὸν λόγον μετὰ τῆς ἴσης τέχνης καὶ τὴν ἀντιλογίαν γράφειν. καὶ γράψας ἐπῆλθον ὅτι τάχιστα. καὶ ἦν ἀδελφὸς ὁ λόγος τοῦ προτέρου καὶ διεσέσειστο τῶν πολεμίων τὰ πράγ- μάτα. δείσας δὲ μὴ γυμνωθείη εἰσῆλθε μὲν ὡς καθέξων τὰς ἀποστάσεις, ἐκίνησε δὲ καὶ τὰς οὐκ ἄν, εἴπερ ἐσίγα, συμ- βάσας. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς προοιμίοις ἐδεῖτο ἐφεθῆναί οἰ τὸ τέλος εἰπεῖν, Κυρίνου δὲ οὐ διδόντος ὑπερπηδᾶν αὐτὸς αὑτῷ τοῦτο ἔδωκε. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας κάθηται μόνος, ὅρκοι δὲ καὶ ἀνάγκαι πᾶσαι καὶ δεσμοὶ καὶ ὅσα ἐπιστεύετο τηρήσειν τοὺς Ἄους. ἐπατεῖτο καὶ μετέρρεεν. ἐπὶ τούτοις γράμματα βασιλέως ἀφικνεῖται κελεύοντά με ἀναστρέφειν, πρὸς ἃ ἀπε- κρίνατο τό τε τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τὸ τῶν νεφρῶν νόσημα, ὡς οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην. τοῦτο δὲ οὕτω θέμενος δείκνυμι λόγον περὶ εὐφυίας, τύπος δὲ τῆς διαλέξεως, τὰ σὰ παιδικά. καὶ δευτέ- ῥᾶς ἐδέησεν ἡμέρας, ἧς ἐκοινώνει Κλημάτιος. τὴν μὲν οὖν ἐπ’ αὐτῶ κίνησιν οὐκ ἐμὸν εἰπεῖν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐμόν τε ἦν εἰπεῖν καὶ ἐβοᾶτο, ὅτι τούτων μέντοι διδάσκαλος Ἀρισταίνετος καὶ δὴ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα ἂν ἔπαινον δέχηται.