Letter 582: I received your letter through Thorax.

To Alkimos. (357) I received your letter through Thorax. He said he would deliver further documents from which I could learn what needs to be done for you, but he barely shows up, and even then hands over nothing. If I do receive those documents, I shall prove myself the kind of friend you hope for. But let your city share some of its bears with us. In raising this with you — what the city council ought to provide — I am perhaps not off the mark, since your city, to its credit, listens to you. Consider that the same act will win applause for both of us: for us, as having made an earnest effort to obtain them; for you, as having given them without grudging. And how pleasant, when a bear performs marvels, for the one who asks "Where did this come from?" to hear: "From the Bithynians."

Ἀλκίμῳ. (357) Ἔλαβόν σου διὰ Θώρακος ἐπιστολήν, γράμματα δὲ ἐπ ἐκείνη δώσειν εἰπών, ἀφ’ ὧν ἂν ἦν μοι μαθεῖν, ὅ τι δεῖ σοι πραχθῆναι, μόλις μὲν ἐντυγχάνει, δίδωσι δὲ οὐδὲ τότε. ἐκείνων μὲν οὖν ἢν λάβω, φανοῦμαί σοι τοιοῦτος οἷον ἐλπίζεις· τῶν ἄρκτων δὲ ἡμῖν ἡ πόλις ὑμῶν μεταδότω. σοὶ δὲ διαλεγόμενος περὶ ὧν δεῖ γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ τάχ’ ἴσως οὐχ ἁμαρτάνω· πειθομένην γὰρ ἔχεις καλῶς ποιοῦσαν τὴν πόλιν. ἐνθυμοῦ δὲ ὅτι τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν οἴσει κρότον, ἡμῖν μὲν ὡς σπουδῇ χρησαμένοις <εἰς> τὸ βεῖν, ὑμῖν δὲ ὡς ἄνευ φθόνου δεδωκόσιν. ἡδὺ δέ που τὸ τῆς ἄρκτου θαυμαστὰ ἐργαζομένης τὸν ἐρόμενον, πόθεν δὲ αὕτη; παρὰ Βιθυνῶν ἀκοῦσαι.