Letter 469: Meterius barely slipped away from our city unnoticed.

To Alcimus. (355/56) Meterius barely managed to slip away unnoticed from our city. For, having many who were devoted to him, even more than Aristodemus had, he was kept under watch. And I myself too was among those who wished him to be here, for he was here on our behalf as well. Many things would dispose you to be well inclined toward him: the just claims of his native city, his kinship with our family, and the fact that his accomplishments in oratory are your gift. Add to these, if you will, the young man's zeal toward us. Considering all this, persuade his father not to think it a wrong on his son's part that he has won a good reputation among us. For I should be very grieved if Meterius, blameless in everything else, should be reckoned base because, in admiring the Syrians, he received the same from them. This man, then, if he obtains you as his ally, will have grounds for complaint rather than be held to blame; but as for us, in all other respects we are doing not badly, only it is impossible to say how badly off we are as to our body.

Ἀλκίμῳ. (355/56) Μόλις λαθὼν τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν Μητέριος διέδυ. πολλοὐς γὰρ ἔχων τοὺς ἐρῶντας ὑπὲρ τὸν Ἀριστόδημον ἐτη- ρεῖτο. ἦν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῶν βουλομένων αὐτὸν ἐνθάδε εἶναι, καὶ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἦν ἐνθάδε. σὲ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν εὔνουν πολλὰ ἂν ποιοῖ. τά τε τῆς πατρίδος δίκαια καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸ γένος οἰκειότης καὶ τὸ τοὺς ἐν τούτῳ λόγους σὴν εἶναι δόσιν. πρόσθες, εἰ βούλει, καὶ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς τοῦ νεανίσκου σπουδήν. ἃ πάντα ἐνθυμηθεὶς πεῖθε τὸν πατέρα μὴ νομί- ζεῖν ἀδίκημα τοῦ παιδὸς τὸ παρ’ ἡμῖν εὐδοκιμηκέναι. πάνυ γὰρ ἄν ἀχθοίμην, εἰ τὰ ἄλλα ὢν Μητέριος ἄμεμπτος πονηρὸς εἶναι δόξει, διότι Σύρους θαυμάσας ταὐτὸν ἔσχε παρ’ ἐκείνων. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἢν τύχῃ σοῦ συμμάχου, μέμψεται μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν αἰτίαις ἔσται· ἡμεῖς δέ σοι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πράττομεν οὐ κα- κῶς, τὸ σῶμα δὲ οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅπως ἡμῖν ἔχει κακῶς.