Letter 825: What is this? You have sent us money — performing a service for us who perform none for you — as though you had not...

To Albanius. (363 AD) What is this? You have sent us money — performing a service for us who perform none for you — as though you had not already spent much while your father was still living, and no small amount after his death, and hosted us as we ran back and forth, not for twenty days like Oeneus hosted Bellerophon, but sometimes a whole month, sometimes three. For all of which you would quite justly be entitled to receive my services for free. What were you thinking when you sent this? If it is because you excel at oratory, I owe you a fee for that. If it is because the just Maximus extended his hand over you, then I owe Maximus a fee in turn — and you still have not received what I owe you. You know my rule with friends: to imitate toward them what fathers do for their children. Clever of you not to mention the money in your letter — you knew perfectly well I would protest and refuse. As it was, Ulpianus, your accomplice in this scheme, gave the money to my household before coming to see me, and handed the letter to me. He then described your circumstances — which were brilliant and worthy of our hopes — while I, wandering through the house with your letter, discovered the trick. I considered sending it back, but knowing it would upset you and fearing it would be boorish, I let it stay. But I am planning how the repayment might be made pleasantly, in good form, and in a way that conceals the fact that it is a repayment.

Ἀλβανίῳ. (363) Τί τοῦτο; χρήματα ἡμῖν ἔπεμψας οὐ λειτουργοῦσι λει- τουργῶν αὐτός, ὥσπερ οὐ πολλὰ μὲν τετελεκὼς ἔτι ζῶντος τοῦ πατρός, οὐκ ὀλίγα δὲ μεθεστηκότος ἤδη, ξενίσας δὲ ἡμᾶς ἄνω καὶ κάτω θέοντας οὺκ εἴκοσιν ἡμέρας ὥσπερ Οὶνεὺς Βελλε- ροφόντην, ἀλλὰ νῦν μὶν μῆνα ὅλον, νῦν δὲ τρεῖς· ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ μάλα σοι εἰκότως ἄν ὑπῆρχε προῖκα τῶν ἐμῶν λαμβά- νειν. πρὸς τί δὴ βλέπων ἐπέσταλκας; εἴτε γὰρ ὅτι λέγων κρατεῖς, ἐγώ σοι τούτου μισθὸν ὀφείλω, εἴθ᾿ ὅτι σου Μάξι- μος ὁ δίκαιος ὑπερέσχε χεῖπα, Μαξίμῳ μὶν ἐγὼ πάλιν ὀφείλω μισθόν, σὺ δὲ οὐδ’ οὕτως ἐμοὶ τὰ ὀφειλόμενά σοι κεκομι- σμένος οἶσθα δέ, ὅστις ἐμοὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους ὁ νόμος· τὰ πατέρων εἰς αὐτοὺς μιμεῖσθαι. σοφὸν δέ σου τὸ μὴ ἐγ- γράψαι τῇ ἐπιστολῇ τὰ χρήματα εὖ γὰρ ᾔδεις ὅτι βοήσομαι καὶ διώσομαι. νῦν δ’ ὁ συνεργὸς τοῦ μηχανήματος Οὐλπια- νὸς τὰ μὲν ἔδωκε τοῖς ἐμοῖς πρὶν ὡς ἐμὲ εἰσελθεὶν, τὰ γράμ- μάτα δὲ ἐμοί· εἶθ᾿ ὁ μὲν διηγησάμενος, ἐν οἷς εἴης δὲ ἦν λαμπρὰ καὶ ἄξια τῶν ἐλπίδων,’ ἐγὼ δὲ ἅμα τῷ βιβλίῳ πανταχῆ τῆς οἰκίας ἰὼν εὑρίσκω τὴν τέχνην καὶ διενοήθην μὲν ἀποπέμψαι πάλιν, γνοὺς δὲ ὅτι σε ἀνιάσω καὶ δείσας μὴ ἀγροικότερον ᾖ, τὰ μὲν εἴασα κεῖσθαι, βουλεύ- ομαι δέ, ὅπως ἂν ἡ ἀπόδοσις γένοιτο τερπνή τε καὶ ἐν καλῷ τῷ σχήματι καὶ δυναμένη λαθεῖν, ὡς ἔστιν ἀπόδοσις.