Letter 569: Iamblichus left us in tears, saying, "Will I ever see the East again?

To Anatolius. (357) It was with tears that Iamblichus set out from us, saying, "Shall I ever look upon the East?" And I said, "Indeed you shall; in Illyricum you will very soon behold the fairest thing the East has to offer." And he, being quick of mind and a member of that household which has excelled in wisdom, perceived what I meant and ceased from his tears, setting against the cities here one man, through whom the cities in these parts stand in glory. At once, then, you will honor him for the sake of his father, his uncle, and his grandfather; but when you take the measure of his disposition—for indeed he has advanced toward being most excellent—for this you will admire the man. And when you require from him an account concerning us, you will see him in his narrative imitating your own conduct toward me, and perceiving this you will reckon him a son of your own; for such is your way toward one who is zealous on my behalf. The rest, then, this man will tell—an abundance of speeches, and perhaps something of beauty as well, a multitude of young men, and concerning these young men their labors, young men who are lovers of toils, friends many and bright, enemies not many and lowly. But what this man will not tell, and which it is not seemly to leave unsaid, is this: he has made me, together with himself, master of his affairs, out of reverence for our kinship. And I think he would do the same toward another also, even one not a kinsman, provided he were a good man.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (357) Μετὰ δακρύων Ἰάμβλιχος ἐξῄει παρ’ ἡμῶν ἆρά ποτε τὴν ἑῴαν ὄψομαι; λέγων. καὶ πάνυ γε ἔφην· ἐν Ἰλλυ- ριοῖς αὐτίκα μάλα τῶν τῆς ἑῴας ὄψει τὸ κάλλιστον. ὁ δὲ ἅτε ὢν ὀξὺς καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἐκείνης, ἣ διήνεγκε τῷ φρο- νεῖν, εἶδεν ὃ λέγω καὶ τῶν δακρύων ἐπαύσατο ταῖς ἐνταῦθα πόλεσιν ἀντιτιθεὶς ἕνα, δι’ ὃν αἱ τῇδε πόλεις ἐν δόξῃ. εὐθὺς μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν τιμήσεις πατρός τε εἴνεκα καὶ θείου καὶ πάπ- που, πεῖραν δὲ λαμβάνων τῆς γνώμης, καὶ γὰρ ἐπέδωκεν εἰς τὸ βέλτιστος εἶναι, τούτῳ θαυμάσῃ τὸν ἄνδρα. λόγον δὲ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαιτῶν ὄψει μὲν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ διηγήσει τὰ σὰ μιμούμενον εἰς ἐμέ, τοῦτο δὲ αἰσθόμενος παῖδα σαυτοῦ νο- μιεῖς· τοιοῦτον γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν περὶ τὸν πρόθυμον εἰς ἐμέ. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα οὗτος ἐρεῖ, λόγων πλῆθος, ἴσως δέ τι καὶ κάλλος, νέων πλῆθος καὶ περὶ τοὺς νέους πόνους, νέους πόνων ἐραστάς, φίλους πολλούς τε καὶ φαιδρούς, ἐχθροὺς οὐ πολλοὺς καὶ ταπεινούς. ὃ δὲ οὗτος μὲν οὐκ ἐρεῖ, σεσιγῆ- σθαι δὲ οὐ καλόν, δεσπότην με τῶν αὑτοῦ μεθ’ αὑτοῦ πε- ποίηται τὴν συγγένειαν αἰδούμενος. ταὐτὸ δ’ ἂν οἶμαι ποιῆσαι καὶ πρὸς ἄλλον οὐ συγγενῆ μέν, ἀγαθὸν δέ.