Letter 419
Libanius→Bacchius|libanius
To Bacchius. (355)
You are in possession of my work and free to return it slowly -- or keep it, if you wish. As I said to you in person, I trust that you believe there is beauty in what I write. But I do worry this might bring you a poor reputation. I myself produce nothing sacred, and apes who imitate only do what comes naturally to apes.
So let us not blame them for it.
Βακχίῳ. (355)
Σὺ τῶν ἐμῶν κύριος βραδέως τε ἀποδοῦναι καὶ κατα-
σχεῖν, εἰ βούλοιο. ὃ δὲ καὶ πρὸς παρόντα ἔφην, οἴεσθαι μέν
σε κάλλος ἐνεῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖς πιστεύω· δέδοικα μέντοι μή σοι
τοῦτό τὴν χείρω δόξαν ἐνέγκῃ. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἱερόν, οἱ
δὲ πίθηκοι πιθηκίζοντες τὰ αὑτῶν ποιοῦσι.
μὴ τοίνυν
αὐτοὺς μεμφώμεθα.
◆
To Bacchius. (355)
You are in possession of my work and free to return it slowly -- or keep it, if you wish. As I said to you in person, I trust that you believe there is beauty in what I write. But I do worry this might bring you a poor reputation. I myself produce nothing sacred, and apes who imitate only do what comes naturally to apes.
So let us not blame them for it.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.