Letter 769: I commend your decision to stay at home for now.

To Hyperechius. (362) I praised your judgment, by which you have now remained at home; for the journey did not partake of the right season, in concert with which an old saying advises that one ought to say and do all things. The famine, then, counseled you - against which you would have had to wrestle had you traveled - to master your desire rather than to set out so that you might see me grappling with such great hardship. As for me, if I had been considering my own interest, I would have rebuked you for not choosing to run even through fire; but as it is - for I reckon your affairs no less important than my own - I count your staying a fine thing, and I hold that it brings me a favor no less than the sight of you would, because it has delivered you from countless evils. But when spring is shining forth, if you see the earth reconciled toward us and the season before summer revealing something favorable about the summer, then put your desire into action. For, longing, you will see one who longs for you. And you have become longed-for by me ever since the victory you won with your speaking, having adorned your father doubly, both by becoming superior to those who attempted to overthrow you and by doing so not through friends, but with your own tongue. Of this triumph there were many messengers, but for me the better ones were those who reported it with pleasure - Sulpicius and the brothers whom you sent, both those before whom you won renown and those whom you were exhorting, who have received as the reward for what they announced the fact that I employ myself more zealously about my speeches. So I think I ought to do good not to you alone, but also to those in whom I perceive some affection toward you. But there is one thing I have come to wonder at: what could you have been thinking, my good fellow, that you did not give letters to young men so dear [to me]? For you could not say either that you are ignorant of the art concerning these matters, nor that the letter would not be welcome to us, nor that it was not asked for, nor that it was not a fine thing to give even before being asked. Do you wish me to help you and to dismiss the charge for the accuser? You thought it a terrible thing that, being just enough to associate with him, you should seem to have chosen the second-best course. Then you let this fellow go, intending to make the better return.

Ὑπερεχίῳ. (362) Ἐπῄνεσά σου τὴν γνώμην, καθ’ ἣν νῦν οἴκοι μεμένη- κας· καιροῦ γὰρ οὐ μετεῖχεν ἡ ὁδός, μεθ’ οὗ πάντα δεῖν καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν παλαιὸς συμβουλεύει λόγος. σοὶ τοίνυν συνεβούλευεν ὁ λιμός, ᾧ παλαίειν πορευόμενον ἔδει, κρατῆσαι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας μᾶλλον ἢ ὅπως ἴδοις ἐμὲ τοσαύτῃ συμπλέκεσθαι ταλαιπωρίᾳ· ἐγὼ δέ, εἰμὲν τοὐμὸν ἐσκόπουν, ἐπετίμων ἄν σοι μὴ καὶ διὰ πυρὸς ἑλομένῳ δραμεῖν· νῦν δέ, τὰ σὰ γὰρ οὐχ ὕστερα τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ ποιοῦμαι, καλὴν ἡγοῦμαι τὴν μονὴν καὶ χάριν ἐμοὶ φέρειν οὐχ ἥττω τῆς σῆς θέας, ὅτι σε κακῶν ἐξείλετο μυρίων. τοῦ δὲ ἦρος ὑπολάμποντος ἢν ἴδῃς τὴν γῆν δι- ηλλαγμένην πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν πρὸ τοῦ θέρους ὥραν χρη- στόν τι περὶ τοῦ θέρους δηλοῦσαν, εἰς ἔργον ἄγε τὴν ἐπιθυ- μίαν. ὄψει γὰρ ποθῶν ποθοῦντα. ποθεινὸς δέ μοι γέγο- νας ἀπὸ τῆς νίκης ἣν ἐνίκησας λέγων, διπλῇ τὸν πατέρα κοσμήσας, τῷ τε κρείττων γενέσθαι τῶν ἑλεῖν πειρωμένων τῷ τε μὴ διὰ φίλων, ἀλλὰ τῇ σαυτοῦ γλώττῃ. τοῦ τροπαίου δὲ ἄγγελοι πολλοὶ μέν, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀμείνους οἱ σὺν ἡδονῇ μηνύ- ονιες, Σουλπίκιός τε καὶ οὓς ἔπεμψας ἀδελφούς, οἷς τ’ εὐδο- κίμησας οἷς τε παρῄνεις, οἱ μισθὸν ὧν ἀπήγγειλαν εἰλήφασι τὸ προθυμοτέρῳ μοι χρῆσθαι περὶ τοὺς λόγους. οὕτως οὐ σὲ μόνον εὖ ποιεῖν οἶμαι δεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἷς ἐνορῶ πρὸς σέ τι φίλτρον. ἀλλ’ ὅ γε ἔχω θαυμάσας, τί μαθών, ὦ χρηστέ, γράμματα οὐκ ἔδωκας νεανίσκοις οὕτω φίλοι,; οὔτι γὰρ ὡς ἀμαθῶς ἔχεις τῆς περὶ ταῦτα τέχνης εἴποις ἂν οὔθ᾿ ὡς ἡμῖν οὐχ ἡδεῖαν ἔσεσθαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν οὔθ’ ὡς οὐκ ᾔτησαι οὔθ᾿ ὡς οὐκ ἦν καλὸν καὶ πρὶν αἰτηθῆναι δοῦναι. βούλει σοι βοηθήσω καὶ τὸν κατήγορον τὴν κατηγορίαν λίσαι; δει- νὸν ἐνόμιζες, εἰ δίκαιος ὢν συνεῖναι τὸν δεύτερον δόξεις ᾑρῆσθαι πλοῦν. εἶτα τοῦτον ἀφῆκας ὡς ἀποδώσων τὸ βέλτιον.