Letter 863: Libanius reproaches Panhellenius for leaving Antioch and says only his return can answer the city's accusation.

It is likely that, with Poseidon's goodwill, you have already reached home. But know this: our city is making many accusations against you precisely because you sailed away. I speak, of course, of fatherland, mother, and children, powerful claims all of them; yet love allows the city to count none of these as great. When I tried to defend you and support your voyage, the season came on, often bringing me into the theater and making me give public displays. Then I became your accuser too, and used the very voices with which I had fought on your behalf. Gerontius was there to be seen, Marcellinus appeared, and Hilarius, the ornament of Greece, leapt forward; but you were absent, you who are worth ten thousand men both to a speech and to the speaker. By the beauty of your soul and of your body you would have made the displays more beautiful, revealing some things, hiding others, keeping some from being unknown and making others escape notice. How, then, will you escape so many accusers? What will you say to me? What to the city? What will you utter, how will you persuade us? No speech could succeed; only an action could. The action is this: put out from there, sail back here, and honor us if possible in summer; if not, then certainly in winter.

1. Σὲ μὲν εἰκὸς τῇ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος εὐνοίᾳ χρησάμενον πάλαι τῆς οἰκείας ἐπιβεβηκέναι· τὴν δ’ ἡμετέραν πόλιν ἴσθι πολλά σου κατηγορεῖν δι’ αὐτὸ τὸ πεπλευκέναι. καίτοι καὶ πατρίδα λέγω καὶ μητέρα καὶ τέκνα πολλὴν ἀνάγκην· ὁ δ’ ἔρως αὐτὴν οὐδὲν ἐᾷ τούτων μέγα νομίζειν. 2. ὁ δ’ ἀπολογούμενος ἐγὼ καὶ τῷ πλῷ βοηθῶν, ἐπειδὴ χρόνος ἐπῆλθεν εἰσάγων τέ με πολλάκις εἰς θέατρον καὶ ποιῶν ἐπιδείξεις, κατήγορός τε ἐγιγνόμην καὶ φωναῖς αἷς ἐμαχόμην ἐχρώμην Γεροντίου μὲν δρωμένου καὶ Μαρκελλίνου φαινομένου καὶ τοῦ τὴν Ἑλλάδα κοσμοῦντος Ἱλαρίου πηδῶντος, ὃς δὲ λόγῳ τε καὶ λέγοντι μυρίων ἀντάξιος ἀπόντος, ὃς τῷ τε κάλλει τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ τε τοῦ σώματος καλλίους ἂν ἐποίει τὰς ἐπιδείξεις τὰ μὲν ἐκφαίνων, τὰ δὲ συγκρύπτων, καὶ τὰ μὲν οὐκ ἐῶν ἀγνοεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ ποιῶν λανθάνειν. 3. πῶς οὖν διαφύγοις τοσούτους κατηγόρους; τί πρὸς ἐμέ, τί πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐρεῖς; τί φθέγξῃ; τῷ πείσεις; ἢ λόγῳ μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἰσχύσαις, ἔργῳ δὲ μόνῳ; τὸ δὲ ἔργον ἐστὶν ἀναχθῆναι μὲν ἐκεῖθεν, καταπλεῦσαι δὲ δεῦρο, καὶ μάλιστα μὲν ἡμᾶς τιμῆσαι τῷ θέρει, εἰ δὲ μή, ἀλλὰ πάντως γε τῷ χειμῶνι.