Letter 830: If Midas were alive today and ruled the Phrygians and possessed all the gold the legend claims — do you think I...

To Alexander. (363) If Midas were alive today and ruled the Phrygians and possessed all the gold the legend claims — do you think I would choose him over the honors you bestow, so numerous, so far exceeding expectation, and bringing more pleasure to the giver than the receiver? You know how often I hesitated to ask a favor, conscious of how many I had already received. But you, reading my soul's desire in my face, rebuked me for thinking you could ever grow tired of doing me kindnesses. Word of this has already flowed to the ends of the earth, and everyone says that no son was ever so devoted to a father, nor father to a son. As for the fears and dangers you have dispelled for my fellow citizens on my account — showing them that if they seek your help through anyone else, they waste their time — and how you have brought the council to the point where they honor you and me with the same acclamations: to recount all this would take as long as the Arabian piper, as they say. But knowing that nothing so distinguishes a sophist as being surrounded by many students, you leave no stone unturned to strip the classrooms elsewhere and draw to this city all those scattered across Syria. Let me tell you how this can easily be done. Leave the general crowd alone — don't criticize other sophists, don't blame fathers. Instead, seek out these young men you recently enrolled among the advocates, summon them, and give them opportunities to speak. For it means everything to such men when the judge asks, "Where is so-and-so?" — and those few words produce a flood of people seeking out the man deemed worthy of such notice. Wherever a teacher's students are seen to wield real influence, everyone rushes to study with him, eager for that same power. We hear that many governors have made many obscure men famous, gaining renown for themselves in the process. Even now, those who point out fine orators say: "This one was made by Rufinus, that one by Himerius, the other by someone else." For if a man who knows how to speak lacks the opportunity, how will his talent become known? For seasoned speakers, time provides the opportunity; for those just stepping onto the platform, it comes from you. Take this path, most exalted of men, and you will see more gathered around your Orpheus than you could wish for.

Ἀλεξάνδρῳ. (363) Εἰ δὲ Μίδας ἦν νῦν καὶ ἦρχε Φρύγων καὶ ἦν τῷ Μίη τούτῳ χρυσὸς ὅσον φησὶν ὁ μῦθος, ἆρ᾿ ἄν με δοκεῖς ἐκεῖνον ἑλέσθαι μᾶλλον ἡ τὰς παρὰ σοῦ τιμὰς οὕτω μὲν οὔσας πολλάς, οὕτω δὲ μείζους ἢ πλείους, ἡδονὴν δὲ τῷ τιμῶντι μᾶλλον ἡ τῷ τιμωμένῳ φερούσας; οἶσθα γὰρ ὡς ἐγὼ μὲν πολλάκις ὤκνησα ἐπαγγεῖλαι χάριν ἐνθυμούμενος, ὁπόσας λάβοιμι σὺ δὲ τῷ προσώπῳ μου τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς πάθος εὑρὼν ἐπετίμησας, εἰ σε ἡγοίμην ἀπερεῖν ποτε χαριζόμενον ἐμοί. καὶ τούτων ὁ λόγος ἤδη πρὸς τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔσχατα ἐρρύηκε, καὶ πάντες ᾄδουσιν ὡς οὔτ᾿ ἂν εἰς πατέρα παῖς οὔτ᾿ ἂν εἰς παῖδα πατὴρ οὕτως ἐγένετο πρόθυμος. φόβους μὲν δὴ καὶ κιν- δύνους ὁπόσους δι’ ἐμοῦ τοῖς ἐμοῖς πολίταις ἔλυσας ἐνδειξά- μενος ὡς, εἰ δι’ ἄλλου του δεήσονταί σου, ληροῦσι, καἰ ὡς εὶς τοῦτο τὴν βουλὴν ἡμῖν κατέστησας ὥστε ταῖς αὐταῖς εὐφημί- αις ἐμέ τε καὶ σὲ κοσμεῖν, μακρὸν ἂν εἴη λέγειν καὶ αὐλητοῦ φασιν Ἀραβίου. ἀλλ’ εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ σοφιστὴν οὐδὲν ἂν οὕτω λαμπρύνειεν ὡς εὶ πολλοῖς περιρρέοιτο φοιτηταῖς, οὐδὲν ὅ τι οὐ κινεῖς, δι’ οὖ νομίζεις γυμνώσειν μὲν τοὺς ἑτέρωθι καθημένους, δεῦρο δὲ ἄξειν τοὺς ἐν Συρίᾳ πάση διεσπαρμέ- νους. ἐγὼ δή σοι πῶς ἂν τοῦτο γένοιτο, ῥᾳδίως ὑποθή- σομαι· τοὺς μὲν πολλοὺς ἴα κύκλους καὶ μήτε σοφιστὰς ψέγε μήτε πατέρων κατηγόρει, τοὺς νεανίσκους δὲ τούτους, οὓς ἄρτι τοῖς συνηγόροις ἐνέγραψας, ζήτει καὶ κάλει καὶ δείκνυε λέ- γοντας. μέγα γὰρ τοῖς τοιούτοις τὸ ποῦ δὲ ὁ δεῖνα; τὸν δικαστὴν εἰπεῖν, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ταῦτα ῥήατα πλῆθος ποιεῖ τῶν καταφευγόντων ἐπὶ τὸν τούτων ὴξιωμένον. ὄτου δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ δοκοῦσι δύνασθαι βοηθεῖν, πάντες παρὰ τοῦτον θέ- οὖσι τῇ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἀκούομεν δὲ πολλοὺς ἄρ- χοντας πολλοὺς τῶν οὐ· ἐνδόξωι ἐν δόξῃ καταστῇσαι σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ὄνομα κτωμένους. καὶ νῦν τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ῥήτορας δει- κνύντες ἅμα λέγουσι· τοῦτον Ῥουφῖνος, τοῦτον Ἱμέριος, ἐκεῖνον ἄλλος ἂν γὰρ ὁ λέγειν ἐπιστάμενος ἀφορμῆς ἀπορῇ λόγων. πῶς ὅτι λέγειν ἐπίσταται φανεῖται; ἀφορμαὶ ἀφορμαὶ τοῖς μὶν πρεσβυτέροις παρὰ τοῦ χρόνου, τοῖς δ’ ἄρτι γεγευμέ- νοῖς βήματος παρ’ ὑμῶν. ταύτην ἐλθὲ τὴν ὁδόν, ὦ πάν- τῶν ὑψηλότατε καὶ πλείους ὧν ἐπιθυμεῖς ὄφει περὶ τὸ σὸν Ὀρφέα.