Letter 110

From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch To: Datianus, consular Date: ~359 AD Context: An elaborate conceit comparing Datianus's love for Constantinople and Antioch to a man choosing between two women -- playful and literary in classic Libanius style. That your city [Constantinople] is bigger than ours, and by a wide margin -- and more beautiful than it is big -- and that it surpasses not only us but every city in the gifts it receives from the sea: all this is beyond dispute. But let me tell you what we've been feeling. There was a belief among us that the swift god -- swift on account of his wings, powerful on account of his arrows -- Eros [Cupid] had stirred you more toward our city than toward that one. He does this even with human bodies: often a man will pass by someone with an aquiline nose and fair skin and give himself to someone dark and snub-nosed, because Eros, I suppose, delights in the unexpected. We considered your beloved, call her what you will, to be our city, while that famous, aquiline, imperial city was not neglected, certainly, but didn't inspire quite so great a flame. And our belief was not unreasonable -- let me explain. If a man gave more generously to one of two women than to the other, which would you say he cared more about? Clearly the one who received the greater expenditure also received the greater desire. And so, our city says: "You adorned me with many buildings, like so many necklaces, and with many...

**To Datianus** (359/60) That your city is greater than ours — and greater by far, and more beautiful even than it is great — and that it surpasses not only us but all cities in the gifts it receives from the sea: these things cannot be denied. But what we have suffered, I shall not conceal from you. There was a belief among us that that god — swift on his wings, mighty with his arrows — had moved you toward *this* city more than toward *that* one. He does the same, after all, even with human bodies: many a man has passed over a fair-skinned, aquiline beauty and given himself to one dark and snub-nosed, Eros, I suppose, taking delight in the perverse. And so we believed that this city — call her what you will — was your beloved, while that aquiline, imperial one was not neglected, certainly, but did not burn with so great a flame. And learn why our belief was not unreasonable. If a man were to lavish more on one of two women and less on the other, which one would you say he was more devoted to? Is it not obvious that where the expenditure is greater, the desire is greater too? "*Me*," says our city, "*you adorned with many houses like so many necklaces, with many baths — some within the walls, others just outside the gates — and you planted gardens and built banquet halls, confections of delight. These handmaidens — the estates, themselves partaking of beauty — stand all around me. And after such expenditure, have you turned your gaze elsewhere?*" Should the city say these things — and should the ambassador say them too (and say them he will, for the city has instructed him) — what will you answer? You will not be at a loss for words, perhaps, resourceful as you are in impossible situations. But we want to hear a deed, not a speech — whatever you might say — and to see what we need. Consider this embassy to be seeking two things: first, to restore to us the savior who was raised up among us; second, the emperor's Nestor. Do not, then, prove false the splendid promises of Obodianus, who departed declaring that he would certainly persuade you. But when you praise him before the company there, you will also do honor to our whole council through his judgment — for the man is truly more beautiful in soul than in form. And you: crown your many benefactions with the capstone by granting him this message to bring back to us: "*I spoke; I persuaded.* The man is on his way." And when we receive the one who bears the name of Calliope — for the bird of Zeus would hardly be parted from the son of Zeus — we shall love him because he placed you above his homeland, but we shall accuse him of not having long ago brought both himself and you back to this city with that great tongue of his. The penalty, however, if you command it, we shall remit.

Δατιανῷ. (359/60) Τὸ μὲν εἶναι μείζω πόλεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐκείνην καὶ πολλῷ γε μείζω καὶ καλλίω γε μᾶλλον ἢ μείζω καὶ τὸ μὴ μόνον ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσας νικᾶν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης δώροις, ταῦτα μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντειπεῖν, ὃ δὲ πεπόνθαμεν, οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαί σε. δόξα τις ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν, ὥς σε ὁ θεὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ ταχὺς μὲν διὰ τῶν πτερῶν, δυνατὸς δὲ διὰ τῶν βελῶν ἐπὶ τήνδε πλέον ἢ ἐκείνην εἴη κεκινηκώς. ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο κἀν τοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σώμασι. πολλάκις παρελθών τις γρυπὸν καὶ λευκὸν ἔδωκεν αὑτὸν μέλανι καὶ σιμῷ τοῦ Ἔρωτος, οἶμαι, τρυφῶντος ἐν τοῖς ἀτόποις. καὶ ταύτην ἡμεῖς τὴν ὅ τι βούλει λέγε σὴν ἐρωμένην ἡγούμεθα, τὴν δὲ γρυπὴν ἐκείνην καὶ βασιλικὴν οὐκ ἠμελῆσθαι μέν, οὐ τοσαύτης δὲ εἶναι λαμ- πάδος. καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἄλογος ἡ δόξα, μάνθανε. εἴ τις δυοῖν γυναικοῖν τῇ μὲν πλείω, τῇ δὲ ἐλάττω χαρίζοιτο, περὶ ποτέραν μᾶλλον ἂν αὐτὸν ἐσπουδακέναι φαίης; ἆρ’ οὐ δῆλον ὡς εἰς ἣν ἡ δαπάνη μείζων, καὶ ὁ πόθος μείζων; ἐμὲ τοίνυν, φησὶν ἡ πόλις, πολλαῖς μὲν οἰκίαις ὥσπερ ὅρμοις ἐκόσμησας, πολλοῖς δὲ λουτροῖς, τοῖς μὲν εἴσω τεί- χους, τοῖς δὲ εὐθὺς πρὸ πυλῶν, καὶ κήπους ἐφυ- τεύσω καὶ ἀνδρῶνας ᾠκοδομήσω, θυμηδίας μακα. θεράπαιναι δὲ αὗταί με πανταχόθεν περιε- στᾶσιν, οἱ ἀγροὶ κάλλους καὶ οὗτοι μετέχοντες. σὺ δ’ ἐπὶ τοσούτοις ἀναλώμασιν ἄλλοσε τέτραψαι; ἂν ταῦτα λέγῃ μὲν ἡ πόλις, λέγῃ δὲ ὁ πρεσβευτής. ἐρεῖ δέ, καὶ γὰρ προσέταξεν ἡ πόλις, τί ἀποκρινῇ; λόγου μὲν ἴσως οὐκ ἀπορήσεις πόριμος ὢν ἐν ἀπόροις, ἀλλ’ ἡμῖν ἔργον μὴ λόγον ἀκούειν, ὅντινα ἂν εἴπῃς, ἀλλ’ ὁρᾶν ἃ χρῄζομεν. καὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν ἡγοῦ δύο ταῦτα ζητεῖν, πρῶτον μὲν ἡμῖν ἀποδοῦ- ναι τὸν αὐξηθέντα παρ’ ἡμῖν σωτῆρα, δεύτερον δὲ τὸν βασι- λέως Νέστορα. μὴ τοίνυν τὰς Ὀβοδιανοῦ λαμπρὰς ἐλέγξῃς ὑποσχέσεις, ὃς εἰπών, ὅτι σε πείσει πάντως, ἀπῆρεν. ἀλλ’ ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐπαινέσῃς παρὰ τοῖς ἐκεῖ, καὶ τὴν ὅλην βουλὴν σεμνυνεῖς τῇ τούτου γνώμῃ, καλλίων γὰρ ὄντως ἁνὴρ τὴν ψυχὴν ἢ τὴν μορφήν. σὺ δὲ ταῖς πολλαῖς εὐεργεσίαις ἐπίθες τὸν κολοφῶνα δοὺς αὐτῷ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγγέλλειν· ὡς εἶπον, ὡς ἔπεισα. πλησίον ἁνήρ. λαβόντες δὲ ἡμεῖς τὸν Καλ- λιόπης ἐπώνυμον, οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἀπολείποιτο τοῦ Δῖός ὁ Δῖός ὄρνις, ὅτι μὲν σὲ πρὸ τῆς πατρίδος ἔθετο, φιλήσομεν, ὅτι δ’ οὐχ αὑτόν τε καὶ σὲ πάλαι πρὸς ταύτην ἐπανήγαγεν ἀπὸ τοσαύτης γλώττης, κατηγορήσομεν, τὸ τίμημα δέ, ἢν σὺ κελεύῃς, ἀφήσομεν.