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

To Anatolius. Iamblichus left us in tears, saying, "Will I ever see the East again?" "Absolutely," I said. "In Illyricum you will very soon see the finest thing the East has produced." Being sharp -- and from that family distinguished for its intelligence -- he understood what I meant and stopped crying, weighing all the cities of this region against one man, the man on whose account these cities have their reputation. You will honor him immediately, for his father's sake, his uncle's, and his grandfather's. But when you test his character -- for he has grown into the best version of himself -- you will admire the man on his own merits. Ask him about me, and you will see that in telling the story he imitates your devotion to me. When you notice that, you will think of him as your own son -- because that is how you feel about anyone who is zealous on my behalf. He will tell you the rest: the quantity of my speeches, and perhaps something of their quality; the number of my students and the effort I devote to them; students who love hard work; many friends in good spirits; enemies few and humbled. One thing he will not tell you, but which ought not go unsaid: he has made me, along with himself, master of his property, out of respect for our kinship. I believe he would do the same even for someone who was not a kinsman, so long as that person was good.

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.