Letter 499: Leontios saw my brother in the evening and said you had sent me a letter through him, but the next day he was...

To Aristainetos. (356/57) Leontios saw my brother in the evening and said you had sent me a letter through him, but the next day he was watching the chariot races and forgot about me. Since Gymnasios was in a hurry, I had to write without having received your letter. For what excuse would Gymnasios have, or I through him? To this man, in addition to his earlier services, I am grateful for his recent ones too — for he was just as he was before. But you should acknowledge him publicly as well. He made your city look splendid through his own conduct, adding to your collective reputation. He avoided those who deserved to be avoided and made use of those whom it would have been wrong to neglect. When Fortune denied him the position he expected and deserved, he laughed — he was not shaken. He brings you an account of affairs, just as Klematios did before him. About these matters I ask you not to be distressed, so that, being so dear a friend, you will not be unlike your friend. For the things that gave me the impression they would cause me pain turned out calmer than any calm. The citizens are on my side — except for Kokkylion — both young and old, and among the foreigners, all who can control their appetites. As for those who cannot plead cases themselves but barge in on those who can — men whom nothing but slandering their betters could ever make known — these repay their dinner hosts with applause for their nonsense. That old companion of yours is perhaps not a bad man in other respects, but he does not heed Isocrates — for he wants to be flattered. And you know how unskilled we are at that. He says he admires my speeches, but his conduct involves flattery and certain things you would not approve of. The charming thing about him and the others is that they are ashamed of what they do — for they deny it even as they do it. This much from us. If you would like to know things down to the smallest detail, you have Gymnasios nearby, who knows everything.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (356/57) Λεόντιος ἑσπέρας ἰδών μου τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ φήσας σε 15 ἐπεσταλκέναι μοι δι’ αὐτοῦ τῆς ὑστεραίας θεατὴς ἦν ἁρμά- των ἁμιλλητηρίων, ἐμοῦ δὲ ἐπελέληστο Γυμνασίου δὲ ἐπει- γομένου καὶ μὴ λαβόντα ἐκεῖνα γράφειν ἴδει. τίς γὰρ ἂν ἦν ἐκείνῳ λόγος ἢ ἐμοὶ δι’ ἐκείνου; τούτῳ τοίνυν πρὸς τοῖς ἔμπροσθε ἐκείνιος ἐγὼ μὲν οἶδα καὶ τῶν νῶν χάριν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν ὅσπερ ἔμπροσθεν, δεῖ δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι δημοσίᾳ. τὴν γὰρ πόλιν ὑμῖν ἀπέφηνε θαυμαστὴν ἐκ τῶν αὑτοῦ τρόπων τῷ κοινῷ δόξαν περιθείς. ἔφυγέ τε γὰρ οὓς ἔδει φυγεῖν ἐχρήσατό τε οἷς μὴ χρώμενος ἂν ἠδίκει. δυνάμεως δὲ ἧς ἤλπιζέ τε καὶ δικαίων παρὰ τῆς Τύχης ἐγέλα- σεν, οὐκ ἐταράχθη. κομίζει δέ σοι καὶ οὗτος διήγησιν πραγμάτων, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος Κλημάτιος. ἐφ’ οἷς δέομαί σου μηδὲν ἀλγῆσαι, ἕνα μὴ πάνυ μοι φίλος ὢν ἀνόμοιος ἦς τῷ φίλῳ· ὡς ἔμοιγε πίσης ἐφάνη γαλήνης πρᾳότερα τὰ παρα- στήσαντά μοι δόξαν ὅτι λυπήσει τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν πολιτῶν πλὴν τοῦ Κοκκυλίωνος ἡμέτερα, καὶ νέοι καὶ γέροντες καὶ τῶν γε ξένων ὅσοι γαστρὸς ἐγκρατεῖς· τῶν δὲ τὰς δίκας λέγειν μὲν οὐ δυναμένων, εἰς δὲ τοὺς λέγοντας εἰσβιαζομένων, οὓς τὸ τοὺς ἀμείνους λοιδορεῖν, ἄλλο δὲ οὐδὲν ἂν ποιήσαι γνω- ρίμους, οὗτοι μισθὸν τοῦ δειπνεῖν τοῖς ἑστιῶσι παρέχουσι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς φληνάφοις βοήν. ὁ δὲ σὸς ἐκεῖνος ἑταῖρος ὁ παλαιὸς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἴσως οὐ κακός, Ἰσοκράτους δὲ οὐκ ἀκούει κολακεύεσθαι γὰρ ἐθέλει. τούτου δὲ ἡμεῖς οἶσθα ὡς ἀμαθεῖς. εἶτά φησι λόγους μὲν ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς ἡμετέρους, τρό- ποις δὲ ἐν οἷς θωπεῖαι καί τινα ὧν οὐκ ἂν ἐπαινέσαις ποιεῖ. χάριεν δὲ καὶ τούτου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τὸ ποιοῦσιν αἰσχύνε- σθαι· ποιοῦντες γὰρ ἐξαρνοῦνται. ταυτὶ μέν σοι παρ’ ἡμῶν εἰ δ’ ἄχρι τῶν σμικροτάτων ἡδέως ἂν εἰδείης, τὸν οὐδὶν ἀγνοοῦντα Γυμνάσιον ἐγγὺς ἔχεις.