Letter 485: Even if you had sent a letter without actually helping me, you would have been counted among those who showed the...

To Datianus. (356 AD) Even if you had sent a letter without actually helping me, you would have been counted among those who showed the greatest kindness. But as it is, you both helped and saved me, and after saving me wrote — benefiting by the one and honoring by the other, adding fine things to fine things. "Flutes after the lyre," as they say. The others who gathered around marveled, applauded, and spoke constantly of your divine person. I, preening, said: "He cannot be idle about my safety even if he wished." When they were puzzled at what I meant, I recounted your kindnesses — the first, the second, the third, the fourth, and all the rest, which the recipient remembers but the giver has forgotten. Then I asked: would Poseidon, having brought a merchant ship safely across vast seas, stand by and watch it break apart at the harbor? "No," I said, "neither would he — and this man will deliver me from troubles to the end, true to his own nature." You have given me, you give me, and you will give me the ability to sleep soundly. As for Antiochus, I congratulate him on the praises you bestowed in your letter, and that he clearly knew you. Whoever considers you the best of men knows you well — which is precisely what Antiochus thinks. I count this as the good fortune of the one who holds that opinion. For whoever holds the right beliefs about the gods — the profit is his own. In all ways our emperor is great to us, not least through the virtue of the one who shares his cares.

Δατιαμῷ. (356) Εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἔργοις βεβοηθηκὼς γράμματα ἐπεπόμφεις, ἐν τοῖς τὰ μέγιστα κεχαρισμένοις ἐτέταξο ἄν· νῦν δὲ καὶ βοηθῶν ἔσωζες καὶ σώσας ἐπέστελλες, τῷ μὲν ὠφελῶν, τῷ δὲ κοσμῶν καὶ καλὰ καλοῖς προστιθείς. αὐλοί φασι μετὰ λύραν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι περιστάντες ἐθαύμαζον, ἐκρότουν, ἐμέμνηντο συνεχῶς τῆς θείας κεφαλῆς· ἐγὼ δὲ ἁβρυνόμενος οὐδὲ γὰρ βουλομένῳ ῥᾳθυμεῖν αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἔστιν ἔφην. ἀπορούντων δέ, ὅ τι μοι νοοῖ τὸ ῥηθέν, κατέλεγον εὐεργεσίαν πρώτην, δευτέραν, τρίτην τετάρτην, τὰς ἄλλας, ἃς ὁ λαβὼν μὲν οἶδεν, ὁ δοὺς δὲ ἐπι- λέλησται. ἔπειτα ἠρώτων εἰ ἣν διὰ μακρῶν πελαγῶν ἴσωσεν ὁλκάδα ὁ Ποσειδῶν, ταύτην ἂν περιίδοι πρὸς τῷ λιμένι ῥηγνυ- μένην. ἀλλ᾿ οὔτε ἐκεῖνος ἔφην οὗτός τε ἐμὲ διὰ τέλους ἐξαιρήσεται κακῶν αὐτὸς τἀ αὑτοῦ ζηλῶν. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα καθεύδειν δέδωκάς τε καὶ δίδως καὶ δώ- σεῖς· Ἀντίοχον δὲ τῶν ἐπαίνων, οὓς ἐπιστέλλων αὐτὸς ἐπῄ- νεις, εὐδαιμονίζω καὶ ὅτι σε δῆλος ἦν εἰδώς. οἶδε δέ σε κα- λῶς ὅστις ἂν ἡγῆταί σε τῶν ὄντων ἄριστον, ὃ δὴ καὶ Ἀντίο- χος ἡγεῖται. τοῦτ’ οὖν εὐτύχημα τοῦ ταύτῃ δοξάζοντος τίθεμαι. καὶ γὰρ ὅστις ἃ χρὴ πέπεισται περὶ τῶν θεῶν, αὐτοῦ τὸ κέρδος. τά τε οὖν ἄλλα μέγας ἡμῖν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τῇ τοῦ κοινωνοῦ τῶν φροντίδων ἀρετῇ.