Letter 666: What an injury you have done me, dear Menander — and right after delighting me!

To Menander. What a wrong you have done me, good Menander, and that too after you had given me pleasure a little while before! Borne along upon a horse both fine and large and supple-limbed, you gave me the impression that, having stirred your body for the sake of exercise, you would turn back again at once; but you, as it turned out, were making a journey out of town, and you no longer ventured to greet me after the manner of those who are parting, but, using the manner of those who are staying, you rode on. And when I saw a team of mules following in haste, I said to the friend who was with me, "Surely this is Menander's?" And he questioned one of the boys running alongside, and that fellow informed him. Then it was that I learned I had been wronged by the fine Menander. And I have now twice called Menander fine, so that he may appear to have done the greater wrong, if, being fine, he then causes such grief. But to come to my house and to climb up a rough staircase you did not shrink from, yet you grudged two words to a friend. Where in your soul did this come from?

Μενάνδρῳ. (361) Οἱόν με ἠδίκηκας, ὦ καλὲ Μένανδρε, καὶ ταῦτα μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν εὐφράνας· φερόμενος ἐφ’ ἵππου καλοῦ τε καὶ μεγάλου καὶ ὑγροσκελοῦς δόξαν μέν μοι παρέης, ὡς ἐπὶ θεραπείᾳ τὸ σῶμα κινήσας ὑποστρέψεις αὐτίκα, σὺ δὲ ἄρα ἔκδημον ὁδὸν ἐποιοῦ καὶ οὐκέτ’ ἐτόλμησας τῷ τῶι διαλυο- μένων ἀσπάσασθαι νόμῳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ τῶν μενόντων χρησάμενος ἤλαυνες. ὡς δ’ Λόον ἐγὼ ζεῦγος ὀρικὸν ἑπόμενον σπουδῇ, πρὸς τὸ ἑταῖρον, ὅς μοι παρῆν, ἆρ’ ἔφην τοῦτο Μενάν- δρου; καὶ ὃς ἤρετο παῖδα τῶν παραθεόντων κἀκεῖνος κατα- μήνυσεν. εἶθ᾿ οὕτως ἔγνων ἠδικημένος ὑπὸ τοῦ καλοῦ Με ἄνδρου. καλὸν δὲ δὶς ἤδη κέκληκα τὸν Μένανδρον, ὅπως φαίνηται μειζόνως ἠδικηκώς, εἰ καλὸς ὢν ἔπειτα τοιαῦτα λυπεῖ. ἀλλ᾿ ἐλθεῖν μὲν οἴκαδε ὡς ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ κλίμακος ἀναβῆναι τραχείας οὐκ ὤκνησας, δυοῖν δὲ ῥημάτων ἐφθόνη- σας ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ. ποῦ ταῦτα τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς;