Letter 475: The city has recovered the reality behind its name, and is truly prosperous once more: the council is honored for...

To Araxius. (356 AD) The city has recovered the reality behind its name, and is truly prosperous once more: the council is honored for what it does, the people are not driven out, and laws, good judgment, calm, and gentleness — all of which reside in you — are brought to bear on every matter. For my part, had I not known well that you would come here from there for greater things, I would have considered my loss from your transfer to be very great. But now, since I can see the path ahead and where you are heading, I blame myself for nothing — you will share in still more brilliant things. I was about to ask you not to deprive me of my household property, over which I have been suffering for a year now, when I received letters from friends and acquaintances saying that the emperor has decided to leave the sick man in peace and assign the labor to another. And so I praised his mildness. As for you, I shall write on behalf of others, since this matter, at least, has been well settled for me.

Ἀραξίῳ. (356) Ἐπανήκει τῇ καλῇ πόλει τὸ τῆς προσηγορίας ἔργον, καὶ ἔστιν ὄντως αὖθις εὐδαίμων τῆς βουλῆς μὲν τὰ γινόμενα τι- μωμένης, τοῦ δήμου δὲ οὐκ ἐλαυνομένου, νόμων δὲ καὶ φρε- νῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἡσυχίας καὶ ἡμερότητος, ἃ πάντα ἐν σοί, πάντα εἰς ἐξέτασιν ἀγόντων. ἐγὼ δέ, εἰ μὲν οὐκ εὖ ᾔδειν ὡς ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τοῖς μείζοσι δεῦρο ἀφίξῃ, πάνυ ἂν ἡγησάμην ἐμαυτὸν ἀζημιωκέναι τῇ μεταστάσει· νῦν δ’, ὁρῶ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ὁδὸν καὶ ποῖ προβήσῃ, μέμφομαι οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ· μεθέξεις γὰρ τῶν λαμπροτέρων. μέλλοντες δέ σου δεῖσθαι μή με ἀποστερῆσαι τῶν οἰκείων, ὧν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἐνιαυτὸν ἤδη νοσῶ, γράμματα λαμβάνομεν παρὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ γνω- ρίμων δεδόχθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸν μὲν ἀσθενοῦντα ἐᾶν, ἑτέρου δὲ τὸν πόνον εἶναι. καὶ οὕτω δὴ τοῦ μὲν ἐπῃνέσαμεν τὸ πρᾷον, σοὶ δ’ ὑπὲρ ἄλλων ἐπιστελοῦμεν ὡς τούτου γε καλῶς ἡμῖν κειμένου.