Letter 726: Just as last year I was unhappy with everything except one thing -- and you know what that one thing was, since...

Just as last year I was unhappy with everything except one thing -- and you know what that one thing was, since every time I came to visit you and we talked, I thought it a festival -- so now I am happy with everything except one thing: that you have not yet come back. When I heard that the noble Seleucus had received his military belt, I hoped he would follow the emperor, and you would follow him, and I would once again see the woman whom Homer would have said resembled the goddesses. But when my hope was disappointed, an old man appeared while I was at my usual pursuits, told me whom he had come from, and said he was bringing slaves as a gift. The gift itself did not strike me as unusual -- we already have many things of yours here, and the man who tutors my illegitimate son is still called "Seleucus's man." But I thought there ought to be something with the gift more precious than the gift itself: a letter from you. When the slaves were brought in but no letter appeared, I accepted the gift all the same -- but the pleasure was not what it would have been if a letter had come with it. If you have grown lazy about writing since the birth of your child, at least tell your daughter to write --

Ἀλεξάνδρᾳ. (362) Ὥσπερ πᾶσι πράγμασι πλὴν ἑνὸς πέρυσιν ἠχθόμην — σὺ δὲ οἶσθα τοῦτο τὸ ἕν, ὁπότε γὰρ ἔλθοιμι παρὰ σὲ καὶ διαλεγοίμην, ἑορτὴν ἡγούμην — οὕτω νῦν πᾶσι χαίρων ὑφ’ ἑνὸς ἀνιῶμαι τοῦ μὴ πάλιν ὑμᾶς ἀφῖχθαι. καίτοι τὸν γεν- ναῖον Σέλευκον ἀκούων κεκομίσθαι τὴν ζώνην ἤλπιζον τὸν μὲν ἕψεσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ, σὲ δὲ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ὄψεσθαι τὴν ταῖς θεαῖς, Ὅμηρος ἔφησεν, ἐοικυῖαν γυναῖκα. ὡς δὲ ἐκείνων ἁμαρτὼν ἠθύμουν γέρων τις ἐπιστὰς τὰς συνήθεις μοι ποιουμένῳ διατριβὰς εἶπέ τε παρ’ ὧν ἥκοι καὶ ὅτι ἄγοι ἀνδράποδα δῶρον. ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν δῶρον οὐκ ἐφάνη καινόν, πολλὰ γὰρ παρ’ ἡμῖν ὑμέτερα καὶ ὅ γε τὸν νόθον μοι παιδα- γωγῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ὁ Σελεύκου καλεῖται· ἕμην δὲ ὅτι δεῖ προσεῖναὶ τῷ δώρῳ κάλλιον αὐτοῦ τοῦ δώρου, γράμματα σά. ὡς δὲ τὰ μὲν ἀνδράποδα εἰσήγετο, γράμματα δὲ οὐκ έφαί- νετο, τὸ μὲν δῶρον καὶ οὕτως ἐλάμβανον, ἡδονὴ δὲ οὐκ ἦν, ὅσηπερ ἂν ἦν, εἰ καὶ τὰ γράμματα προσῆν. σὺ δ’ εἰ ῥᾴθυ- μος ἡμῖν γέγονας ἐπὶ τῷ τόκῳ, τήν γε θυγατέρα κέλευε γρά- φειν καὶ βοηθεῖν τῇ μητρί. θεοὶ δέ μοι δοῖεν καὶ περὶ σῶν υἱέων τοιαῦτα ἐπιστεῖλαι.