Letter 108

From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch To: Themistius, philosopher in Constantinople Date: ~359 AD Context: A recommendation for Dorotheus -- featuring a charming scene where the man is too modest to ask Themistius for help himself. This Dorotheus urged me to write to many of our prominent men, thinking he'd collect a harvest of good things from many sources. One would prove to be gentle, another eager, another brave, another powerful -- and so the honeycomb of his desire would be well-filled. But I told him he didn't need to write to many -- just to one, the man who has everything. For who is gentler than Themistius? Who so honors the twin gods of hospitality [the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux] in his devotion to guests? Where is there such eagerness? What has he ever begun without bringing it to completion? When he heard the name, he leapt up and smiled and said he craved this above all else -- but that the thing was too great for him, which is why he hadn't dared to ask. But rest assured, Dorotheus deserves this and more. Only one thing is greater than your support -- the support of the gods. And they would rightly look with favor on a man of his virtue toward friends. For it was Dorotheus who saved the household of Argyrius for us -- a household you love and which admires you. He was subjected to every kind of coercion, but his endurance defeated the cruelty of a Phalaris [the proverbially cruel tyrant of ancient Acragas], and he was ready to die rather than betray...

**To Themistius** (359/60) This man Dorotheus urged me to write to many of our people here, supposing that from many men he would reap many benefits — for one would prove gentle, perhaps, another eager, another brave, yet another powerful, and so the honeycomb of his desire would be richly filled. But I said to him that he need not write to many, but to one alone, in whom all these qualities reside. For who is gentler than Themistius? Who so honors the Dioscuri in his devotion to strangers? In whom is there such eagerness? And what has he ever undertaken that he did not bring to completion? When Dorotheus heard the name, he leapt up and smiled, and said that this was indeed the man he longed for — but that the matter was too great for someone like himself, and so he had not dared to ask. But know well: Dorotheus is worthy even of this, and of still greater things. Only one thing, I believe, surpasses the weight of your influence — that of the gods. And their favor he would rightly win, on account of his virtue toward his friends. For this man saved for us the household of Argyrius — whom you love and by whom you are admired — though he was subjected to every kind of compulsion. By his endurance he conquered the cruelty of a Phalaris, and he resolved that he would sooner die, should it come to that, than betray his companion. He lives, indeed, thanks to Fortune. But when the blizzard of blows fell upon him and lacerated his shoulders, both he and those who watched believed that at any moment he would have to lie dead. Yet taking thought — for he is a man who has had his share of education — of what glory certain men of old had won by the dangers they endured for their friends, he did not destroy his companion with a false word. By his righteous refusal he snatched the man from the swords, while he himself offered up his own body to friendship. And now, whenever you rejoice at the sight of Obodianus, think of Dorotheus alongside him — since it is from this man that you have Obodianus, a man who displayed the virtues of philosophers in a different walk of life. What manner of man, then, would he be if he turned to philosophy? Indeed, he is celebrated as a benefactor of our city. And whatever he may now obtain through you, the city itself has obtained. I could say ten thousand other things besides — among them that he listens to speeches with the keenest pleasure and is no mean judge of them — but I would not wish to speak of lesser things on top of greater ones, especially since you yourself will write to me about those.

Θεμιστίῳ. (359/60) Πολλοῖς ἐκέλευσέ με τῶν παρ’ ἡμῖν οὑτοσὶ Δωρόθεος γράφειν ἡγούμενος ἐκ πολλῶν ἀνδρῶν πολλῶν ἀπολαύσεσθαι τῶν ἀγαθῶν· φανεῖσθαι γὰρ τὸν μὲν πρᾷον ἴσως, τὸν δὲ πρόθυμον, τὸν δὲ ἀνδρεῖον, ἄλλον δυνατόν, καὶ οὕτως αὑτῷ καλὸν ἔσεσθαι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὸ κηρίον. ἐγὼ δὲ ἔφην πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς οὐ πολλοῖς ἄρα δέοι γράφειν, ἀλλ’ ἑνί, πὰρ ᾧ τὰ πάντα. τί μὲν γὰρ ἡμερώτερον Θεμιστίου; τίς δ’ οὕτω τοὺς Τυνδαρίδας ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς ξένους σπουδῇ τιμᾷ παρὰ τῷ δὲ τοσαύτη προθυμία; τί δ’ οὐχ ἧκεν εἰς τέλος ὧν ἥψατο; ὁ δ’ ὡς ἤκουσε τοὔνομα, σκιρτήσας καὶ μειδιάσας τούτου μὲν ἔφησεν ἐπιθυμεῖν, μεῖζον δὲ αὑτοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα διόπερ οὐκ αἰτῆσαι. ἀλλ’ εὖ ἴσθι, καὶ τούτου Δωρόθεος ἄξιος καὶ ἔτι μείζονος. ‘ὲν δέ, οἶμαι, μεῖζον τῆς παρὰ σοῦ ῥοπῆς, ἡ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν. ὧν εἰκότως ἂν εὐμενῶν τυγχάνοι τῆς εἰς φίλους ἀρετῆς εἵνεκα. οὗτος γὰρ Ἀργυρίου ἡμῖν τὸν οἶκον, ὃν ἀγαπᾷς τε καὶ ὑφ’ οὗ θαυμάζῃ, σέσωκεν εἰς πάσας μὲν ἀνάγκας ἀχθείς, νικήσας δὲ καρτερίᾳ τὴν Φαλά- ριδος ὠμότητα, τὸ δ’ ἀποθανεῖν, εἰ συμβαίη, πρὸ τοῦ τὸν ἑταῖρον ἀδικῆσαι θέμενος. ζῇ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν Τύχην, ὅτε δὲ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐφέροντο τῶν πληγῶν αἱ νιφάδες καὶ ᾔκιζον τοὺς ὤμους, αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐλπὶς ἦν, ὡς αὐτίκα δεήσει κεῖσθαι. λαβὼν δὲ ἔννοιαν, καὶ γὰρ τῶν παιδείας μετ- ειληφότων ἁνὴρ, οἵαν δόξαν ἐφ’ οἴοις ὑπὲρ φίλων κινδύ- νοῖς ἐκτήσαντο τῶν παλαιοτάτων τινές, ῥήματι μὲν ψευδεῖ τὸν ἑταῖρον οὐκ ἀπώλεσε, τῇ δικαίᾳ δὲ ἀρνήσει τὸν μὲν ἐξ- ἥρπασε τῶν ξιφῶν, αὐτὸς δὲ εἰσήνεγκε τῇ φιλίᾳ τὸ σῶμα. καἰ νῦν ὅταν χαίρῃς Ὀβοδιανὸν θεώμενος, τὸν Δωρόθεον παραβαλεῖν ὡς παρ’ ἐκείνου τοῦτον ἔχων τοῦ τὰ τῶν φιλο- σόφων δείξαντος ἐν ἑτέρῳ βίῳ. τίς ἂν οὖν ἦν οὗτος φιλο- σοφῶν; καὶ γάρτοι τῆς πόλεως εὐεργέτης ᾄδεται. καὶ νῦν ὅτου ἂν οὗτος διὰ σοῦ τύχῃ, τετύχηκεν ἡ πόλις. εἷχον μὲν ἕτερα μυρία λέγειν, ἐν οἷς ἐστι καὶ τὸ λόγων ἀκούειν τε ὡς ἥδιστα καἰ κριτὴν οὐ φαῦλον εἶναι, μικρὰ δὲ ἐπὶ μείζοσιν οὐκ ἂν βουλοίμην λέγειν, ἄλλως θ’ ὅτε σύ μοι περὶ ἐκείνων ἐπι- στελεῖς.