Letter 31

To Julian. (358/59) May your body, as you reported, continue in good health, and may God send relief for your grief. Or rather, part of your grief needs God's help, but part of it you have the power to end yourselves. Rebuilding the city is within reach if you choose to act; but for the sorrow over the dead, comfort must come from heaven. I count Nicomedia [the great city destroyed by earthquake in 358 AD] blessed even in her fallen state. She ought to be standing, yes, but even fallen she has been honored by your tears. And that is no less than the laments the Muses are said to have raised for Achilles, or the shower of blood that Zeus let fall for Sarpedon when his beloved son was about to die [references to Homer's Iliad]. The work of making the old city a city again -- that will be your concern. As for Elpidius, he was a good man before, but the growth of his character now is truly remarkable. It seems it is not only true, as Sophocles says, that "tyrants grow wise through the company of the wise" -- a king's wisdom can also lead those around him to virtue. See how you have benefited this man, making him not only more prosperous but better.

**To Julian** (358/59) May your body continue as you reported it to be, and may a remedy for your grief come from God — or rather, part of your grief requires divine help, but part you have the power to end yourselves. For the restoration of the city is within your reach, if you are willing; but for the despondency over the dead, may consolation come from heaven somehow. For my part, I count even Nicomedia blessed, though she lies in ruins. She ought to be standing, it is true, yet even fallen she has been honored by your tears. And this is no less than the dirges which, as the story goes, the Muses raised over Achilles, nor less than the bloody rain that Zeus let fall for Sarpedon when he was about to die, honoring his dearest son. The task of making the old city a city once more will be your concern. As for Elpidius — he was a good man before, but his present growth in character is truly remarkable. It seems that not only does Sophocles' saying hold true — *"wise become the rulers through the company of the wise"* — but that a wise emperor's influence also guides those around him toward virtue. Just so have you benefited this man, making him not merely more distinguished but better. For although you are younger than Elpidius, you have become, in these fine qualities at least, the teacher of your elder: in fairness, in eagerness to do well by friends, in taking joy in doing so, in dealing gently with strangers, and in winning over everyone you meet. For all who approached and greeted him came to admire the man, and then at once grew fond of him — and saw your judgment all the more clearly reflected in those you have entrusted with responsibility. He and I have had frequent conversations, and all of them about you — about your disposition, about the circumstances you find yourself in, and the kind of man you show yourself to be in the face of them. So vivid was his account of your doings that I almost felt I was speaking with you in person. The finest thing I heard was that you are driving back the barbarians and committing your victories to written record — that you are truly both orator and general in one. Achilles needed his Homer, and Alexander his many chroniclers, but your trophies will win their remembrance through the voice of the very man who raised them. So far have you surpassed the sophists — not only by setting before them the labor of your deeds, but also by challenging them to rival the accounts you yourself have composed of those deeds. Now add to your trophies this as well: see that Pompeianus receives his rights, and consider this too no trivial battle. This is the man whom you once gladly received in Bithynia when he came on an embassy from here, and whom, learning what he had been deprived of, you encouraged with the hope that he would recover what was his. Remember those promises for me, O Emperor.

Ἰουλιανῷ. (358/59) Ἀλλά σοι τὸ μὲν σῶμα, ὡς ἐμήνυες. διὰ τέλους ἔχοι, τῇ 15 λύπῃ δὲ φάρμακον ἔλθοι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, μᾶλλον δέ, τὸ μέν τι τῆς λύπης δεῖται θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ ὑμεῖς ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς παῦσαι κύριοι. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀνορθῶσαι τὴν πόλιν ἕτοιμον, εἰ βουλη- θείητε, τῆς δ’ ἐπὶ τοῖς τεθνεῶσιν ἀθυμίας ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ποθεν ἔλθοι παραμυθία. μακαρίζω δὲ ἔγωγε τὴν Νικομήδους καὶ κειμένην. ἴδει μὲν γὰρ ἑστάναι, τετίμηται δὲ ὅμως πεσοῦσα δάκρυσι σοῖς. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μεῖον οὔτε τῶν θρήνων, οὓς ἐπ’ Ἀχιλλεῖ Μούσας ἐγεῖραι λόγος σὔτε τῆς ᾑμαγμένης ψεκάδος, 5 ἣν ἐπὶ Σαρπηδόνι μέλλοντι τελευτήσειν ἀφῆκεν ὁ Ζεὺς παῖδα φίλτατον τιμῶν. τοῦ μὲν οὖν τὴν πάλαι πόλιν αὖθις γενέ- σθαι πόλιν ὑμῖν μελήσει, Ἐλπίδιος δὲ ἦν μὲν καὶ πρότερον ἀγαθός, νῦν δὲ ἡ τῶν τρόπων ἐπίδοσις ἀξία θαυμάσαι. καὶ οὐκ ἄρα μόγον τὸ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους σοφοὶ τύραννοι τῇ σοφῶν συνουσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλέως σοφία τοῖς συνοῦσιν ἆν εἰς ἀρετὴν ἡγοῖτο. οἷα καὶ σὺ τουτονὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὤνησας οὐ μᾶλλον εὐ- πρρώτερον ἢ βελτίω δείξας. καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ νεώτερος Ἐλπι- δίου. σὺ γέγονας τῶν γε καλῶν τούτων Ἐλπιδίῳ διδάσκαλος 15 τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ, τῆς ἐπιεικείας, τῆς προθυμίας τοῦ ποιεῖν εὑ τοὺς φίλους, τοῦ ποιοῦντα χαίρειν, τοῦ πρᾴως τοῖς ἀγνῶσιν ἐντυγχάνειν τοῦ τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα κατέχειν. ὅσοι γὰρ αὐτῷ προσελθόντες προσεῖπον, τοσοῦτοι τὸν ἄνδρα ἐθαύμασαν, εἶτα εὐθὺς ἐφίλησαν καὶ μᾶλλόν τι τὴν σὴν κατεθεάσαντο γνώμην ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ πεπιστευμένοις. ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ τούτῳ πυκνοὶ μὲν οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους λόγοι, πάντες δὲ περὶ σοῦ τε καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἣν ἔχεις καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐν οἵοις ὢν ὅστις εἶ πρὸς αὐτά. καὶ οὕτως ἐγγὺς ὧν πράττεις ἰπὶ τῆς διηγήσεως ἦν, ὥστε σοι μικροῦ διελεγόμην ὡς ἂν παρόντι. κάλλιστον δὲ ὧν ἤκουον τὸ ἐλαύνειν σε τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ τὰς νίκας εἰς συγγραφὴν ἄγειν καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντως ῥήτορά τε εἶναι καὶ στρατηγόν. Ἀχιλλεῖ μὲν γὰρ Ὁμήρου ἴδει καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ πολ- λῶν Τιτήνων, τρόπαια δὲ τὰ σὰ μνήμης τεύξεται τῇ τοῦ στή- σαντος φωνῇ· τοσοῦτον ἔφθης τοὺς σοφιστὰς οὐ τὰ ἔργα μό- νον πόνον αὐτοῖς προθείς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἐποίησας ἅμιλλαν. πρόσθες δὴ τοῖς τρο- παίοις καὶ τὸ Πομπηιανὸν τῶν δικαίων τυχεῖν καὶ νόμισον καὶ ταύτην οὐ φαύλην τὴν παράταξιν. ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἐκεῖ νός ἐστιν, ὅν ποτε ἐνθένδε πρεσβεύοντα ἡδέως εἶδες ἐν Βιθυ- νίᾳ καὶ μαθὼν ὧν ἀπεστέρητο κατέστησας εἰς ἐλπίδας, ὡς ἄρα κομιεῖται τὰ αὑτοῦ. τούτων μοι μεμνῆσθαι τῶν ὑποσχέ- σεων, ὡ βασιλεῦ.