Letter 803

To the Emperor Julian. (363 AD) I was at first displeased with Alexander's administration, I confess. That the most disreputable among us should be his concern — things that previously were not the business of distinguished men — I considered an insult, not the work of a governor. I also thought the frequent monetary fines would weaken the city, and more besides. But now the fruit of that severity has appeared, and I sing a recantation. For those men who used to bathe before noon and sleep the day away have become Spartan in their habits and hardened — and in addition to the day, they toil through no small part of the night, as if nailed to Alexander's doors. And if he shouts from within, everything shakes, so that he seems to need no iron at all, since threats alone suffice to make the lazy and insolent both industrious and well-behaved. Calliope too has been honored in a manner worthy of your judgment — not only with chariot races, but also with theatrical performances. Sacrifice has been made to the goddess in the theater, and she has drawn to our side no small number, so that the cheering is splendid and the gods are invoked in the cheering. And the governor, showing that he delights in such cheering, calls forth even more of it from greater numbers. So great a thing is divination, O Emperor, teaching men how one might best manage a household, a city, a nation, and an empire.

Ιουλιανῷ αὐτοκράτορι. (363) Ἐγὼ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τὸ πρῶτον ἐδυδχέραινον, ὁμολογῶ, καὶ τὸ τοὺς ἀτιμοτάτου, τῶι παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τούτων δὴ τὸ πρὶν οὐ τῶν ἐνδόξων ὕβριν ἡγούμην κὼ οὐκ ἄρχοντος ἔργον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν εἰς χρήματα ζημίαν πυκνήν τινα οὖσαν ἀσθενεστέραν ᾤμην ποιήσειν τὴν πόλιν, πλέον δὲ οὐ νῦν δὲ ὁ καρπός τε ἀνεδόθη τῆς τραχύτητος καὶ ᾄδω πα λινῳδίαν. οἱ γὰρ δὴ πρὸ μεσημβρίας ἐκεῖνοι λελουμένοι καὶ κοιμώμενοι Λακωνικοί τινες γεγένηνται τοὺς τρόπους καὶ καρ- τερικοί, καὶ πρὸς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τυ νυκτὸς οὐκ ὀλίγον πονοῦσιν ὡσπερ προσηλωμένοι ταῖς Ἀλεξάνδρου θύραις. ὁ δ’ εἰ βοήσειεν ἔνδοθεν, σείεται πάντα, ὥστ’ οὐδὲ σιδήρου μοι δε- ήσεσθαι δοκεῖν τοῦ ἀπειλεῖν ἀποχρῶντος ἐνεργούς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ σώφρονας ποιεῖν τοὺς ἀργούς τε καὶ θρασεῖς. τειερά πευται δὲ καὶ ἡ Καλλιόπη τῆς σῆς γνώμης ἀξίως οὐ μόνον ἱπποδρομίαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ἐπὶ σκηνῆς χάρισι καὶ τέθυται ἐν θεάτρῳ τῇ θεῷ καὶ μετετάξατο παρ’ ἡμᾶς οὐ μικρὸν μέρος, ὥσθ’ ἥ τε βοὴ λαμπρὰ θεοί τε ἐν τῇ βοῆ καλοῦνται. δηλῶν δὲ ὁ ἄρχων ὡς χαίρει τῇ τοιαύτῃ βοῇ μείζω ταύτην ἀπὸ πλειόνων προκαλεῖται. τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μαντικὴ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διδάσκουσα, τί ποιῶν ἄν τις ἄριστα διοικοίη καὶ οἶκον καὶ Πόλιν καὶ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλείαν.