Letter 498: Louppion announced that he is bringing me a letter from you — he has not delivered it yet, but will.

To Araxios. (356/57) Louppion announced that he is bringing me a letter from you — he has not delivered it yet, but will. For now we rejoice in the expectation; later, in the thing itself. I marvel at what Fortune has planned for you, but I marvel no less at your character. She constantly advances your fortunes, while you keep your loyalty to friends on firm ground — those you loved before your rise, you love still now that you have risen. Most men, when they become great, throw off their old acquaintances like worn-out clothes. Gymnasios, having praised you alongside us in word, now shows his admiration in deed. For though he could, if he wished, practice his craft here with us — where, as the poet says, "tongues fall like winter snowflakes" [Homer, Iliad 3.222] — he would rather earn a modest living under your governance than surpass Kinyras elsewhere. What draws him back to you is partly his longing for a city that is, by the gods, beautiful, great, and free from the troubles and tears so common elsewhere. But he is drawn more by your governorship, since people have already abandoned the city itself under other governors, fleeing as from Athens under the Thirty Tyrants. The greatest sign of lawful rule is that many stream toward a place; of its opposite, that they flee. So Gymnasios running from Syria to Araxios is the greatest tribute to you. I wish I could do the same, but cannot — you know the constraints binding those chained to teaching.

Ἀραξίῳ. (356/57) Λουππίων εἰπὼν ὅτι μοι φέρει γράμματα παρὰ σοῦ δέδωκε μὲν οὔπω, δώσει δέ. νῦν μὲν οὖν ὡς ληψόμενοι χαί- ρομεν, τότε δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ λήψει. τὴν Τύχην δὲ οἶς περὶ σοῦ βεβούλευται θαυμάσας τὸν σὸν οὐχ ἧττον τρόπον ἢ ’κείνην ἔχω θαυμάσαι. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὰ σὰ πρὸς τὰ βελτίω κινεῖ, σὺ δὲ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ἐν βεβαίῳ τηρεῖς καὶ οὕς, ὅτε οὔπω τοσοῦτος ἦσθα, τούτους ηὐξημένος ἀγαπᾷς. οἱ πολλοὶ δὲ ἐν τῷ γενέσθαι μεγάλοι τοὺς πάλαι γνωρίμους ἀπορρίπτου- σιν ὥσπερ τῶν ἱματίων τὰ σαπρά. Γυμνάσιος δὲ μεθ ἡμῶν σε ἐπαινέσας τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ τὸ θαυμάζειν δεικνύει. ἔχων γάρ, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, παρ’ ἡμῖν τὴν αὑτοῦ καρποῦσθαι τέχνην, οἱ, δὴ γλῶτται νιφάδεσσιν ἐοικυῖαι χειμερίῃ- σιν, ὑπὸ σοὶ μικρὰ κερδαίνειν ἢ τὸν Κινύραν ἑτέρωθι βού- λοιτ’ ἂν παρελθεῖν. καὶ νῦν αὐτὸν ὑμῖν ἐπανάγει μὲν καὶ τὸ τὴν πόλιν ποθεῖν καλήν τε, νὴ τοὺς θεούς, καὶ μεγάλην καὶ καθαρὰν πραγμάτων καὶ δακρύων, ὃ παρ᾿ ἑτέροις πολύ. κέκληται δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς ἀρχῆς πλέον, ἐπεὶ τήν γε πόλιν αὐ- τὴν ἤδη τις ἀφεὶς ἐν ἄλλωι ἀρχαῖς ᾤχετο ἀποδράς, ὥσπερ, οἶμαι, τὰς Ἀθήνας ἐπὶ τῶν τριάκοντα. σημεῖον δὲ μέγιστον ἀρχῆς ἐννόμου μὲν τὸ συρρεῖν ἐκεῖσε πολλούς, τῆς δὲ ἐναν- τίας αἱ φυγαί. μέγιστον οὖν ἐγκώμιον κατὰ σου Γυμνά- σιος ἐκ Συρίας παρὰ Ἀράξιον τρέχων. ἐγὼ δὲ ταὐτὰ μὲν ἐκείνῳ βούλομαι, δύναμαι δὲ οὐκ ἴσα τὰς γὰρ ἀνάγκας οἶσθα τῶν ἐν τῶ διδάσκειν δεθέντων.